Michael McCloskey

My name is Michael McCloskey and I joined the Redemptorist Community at the age of 33. I lived in Belfast for a long period of my life, although I spent my first six years growing up in Zambia, Africa. During my years in Belfast, I studied at Our Lady and Saint Patrick's College, and went on to study at the University of Ulster (Jordanstown). On finishing at UUJ, I worked in Civil Engineering with the Government on the Laganside Regeneration Project and the Lagan Weir and various Design Schemes, Flood Alleviation Schemes and River Engineering Schemes throughout the North of Ireland for a period of ten years.

I spent some of my summers working in Romania developing houses with Habitat for Humanity and also with gypsy street children. In the summer of 2004 I spent a period of time working in the Philippines on a Redemptorist SERVE Project, and in September 2005 I joined the Redemptorists. I spent two years in Dublin studying philosophy at the Milltown Institute. During my two years of studying philosophy I also spent two months working in South Africa and Mozambique.

In July 2007 I moved to Chicago to do my Novitiate in the International North American Novitiate. I completed this year and was professed on 30th August 2008 and have just entered a three year degree programme in Theology at the Milltown Institute.

I have a strong interest in rugby and spent many years playing AIL rugby with Collegians, Ballynahinch and Belfast Harlequins and have represented Ulster Under 18, Ulster Development XV and Ulster President XV. I also enjoy mountain and hill walking.