Father Michael Hannan was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, on October 4 1909. The family moved to Toronto, Canada, three years later. In 1925 he joined the English Province of the Society of Jesus. He studied philosophy at Heythrop College. He was very interested in the ‘missions’ and so went on to study Shona and missiology. He was ordained on 6 September 1938.
In 1947 he was appointed to St. Paul’s Mission Musami (in the then Rhodesia)where he worked with Fr. Bert. He had a great love for the people, who gave him the name ‘Mudavanhu’ (the one who loves the people). He founded Marymount Mission and did effective pastoral work in the area. Because of his expertise in Shona, the Rhodesian Literature Bureau asked him to write a Shona dictionary, together with a team. The dictionary was published as the ‘Standard Shona Dictionary’ in 1959. It is a magnificent work of scholarship and has not been bettered up to today. Father Hannan then went on to set up the Kutama Teachers Training College.
In 1962 the Bishops asked him to work on a Shona translation of the Bible. He completed Chitenderano Chitsva (New Testament) which was used for years in the Church. He also translated the Sunday and Weekday lectionaries into Shona. And in 1968 he produced the Shona Missal, still in use today. In 1976 the University of Rhodesia awarded him an honorary doctorate for his outstanding contribution to the Shona language in Zimbabwe. He was a very devoted Jesuit and in 1973 was elected to attend the 32nd General Congregation.
He died in St. Anne’s hospital on 22nd December 1977, greatly loved and sorely missed by many. The Journal of the University of Rhodesia
(ZAMBEZIA) devoted an edition to him in 1979. He was exemplary in every way; as a person, as a Jesuit, as a scholar, and as a pastoral worker with a big heart for the people.
