‘Father An’ of Norwood: Maryknoll Missionary Rev. William V. Ahearn Visits Home-November 9, 1967

Norwood Native Serving in Korea Combines Economics, Credit Unions, Education, and Agriculture in Rural Parish Ministry

NORWOOD — When William V. Ahearn was a small boy attending St. Catherine’s School in Norwood, Shen Fu, a missionary priest from China, would come to speak to the students. Years later, a taller and older Father Ahearn—known to his 4,500 parishioners in Korea as Father An—returned to speak to his hometown community. A strapping 6-foot-1, crew-cut, 42-year-old Maryknoll missionary, Father Ahearn is visiting his mother, Mrs. William V. Ahearn of 33 Rock St., and his brothers until Thanksgiving, when he returns to his parish at Holy Rosary Church in the Chung Ho Won district, located four miles south of Seoul, Korea.

Encompassing an area the size of Westwood, Walpole, and Norwood combined with a population of 32,000, Father Ahearn’s parish includes six mission stations manned by catechists who conduct services and teach in his absence. Described as a “brick and mortar priest,” he recently oversaw the construction of a new $40,000, 14-room secondary school for girls to accommodate students who previously lacked educational access beyond the sixth grade.

Economic Development, Credit Unions, and Agricultural Innovation

A graduate of Boston College where he majored in economics before entering the seminary, Father Ahearn has applied economic principles to combat rural poverty in his parish:

• Parish Credit Union: Established three years ago and boasting 130 members, the credit union provides low-interest loans—such as a $10 loan that enabled a widow to buy a calf, resell it for $40, and purchase a home—replacing predatory informal lending circles.
• Agricultural Modernization: Hoping to introduce chicken farming to his community, Father Ahearn recently visited the Norfolk County Agricultural High School in Walpole, conferring with Superintendent Thomas McGarr and photographing facilities alongside photographer Kenneth F. McLean. He has also introduced plastic greenhouses to lengthen vegetable growing seasons.
• Family Roots: Father Ahearn is one of several brothers rooted in public service and education, including Francis Ahearn, a Foxboro school principal; David C. Ahearn, a state representative; and Kenneth Ahearn of West Palm Beach, Florida.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger