Father Frank Drohan
was born in Ireland in 1918. He came to Shrigley in 1933 when he was aged 14.
In 1935 he made his Novitiate in Cowley in 1935 where he was professed in September
1936 and was immediately posted to Japan. In 1941 because of the War he then
went to Sydney in Australia where he studied his Theology at the same time as
teaching full time. The Theologians had one hour of Theology in the evening.
After Ordination he found himself in Tasmania from where he went to Melbourne
for two years. In December 1949 he was sent to Palleskenry for another two years
before going back to Japan where he passed his examinations in the Japanese
language in
1953.
It was found that he had contracted TB so he was sent back to Ireland for two years from where he found himself back in Japan teaching in a language laboratory. In 1969 he was found to be a spina bifida sufferer from birth but it was thought when he returned to Melbourne for an operation that the operation would not be beneficial. From there Father Frank taught Japanese in Adelaide but the climate was too dry for him. He soon afterwards found himself helping as an English/Italian/Japanese speaking guide in the Catacombs in Rome. Again after four years he was unsurprisingly back in Japan where he taught English in Osaka but then had a cerebral infarction and moved to Miyazaki where he is now busy using his command of languages to do many translations.
Joe Lomax adds
"What
a Salesian, what a life. This talented man has really given of himself to others
as Priest, linguist, teacher, carpenter, communicator. What a Salesian gem!"