| Born in County
Kilkenny, Ireland, 1834, a brother of Father John Vereker. Following his
arrival in St. John's in 1866, he resumed his ecclesiastical studies for
the priesthood in St. Bonaventure's College, and was a seminarian there
from 1866-1870. He completed the final course of his studies under the
tutelage of Father Edward O'Keefe, parish priest of St. Patrick's Parish,
Brigus, Conception Bay. Father Vereker was ordained to the Order of Priest
by The Right Reverend Thomas Joseph Power in 1870. He was working in St.
Edward's Parish, Kelligrews from 1877-1879; St. Michael's Parish, Bell
Island, from 1880-1883. His next appointment was as the parish priest of
Holy Trinity Parish, Ferryland, where he laboured for thirty-five years,
1883-1918. He was a member of the Roman Catholic School Board for
Ferryland 1891, and most likely held that office up unto the year of his
death. Father Vereker died at Ferryland June 19, 1918, in the 84th year of
his age, and the 48th year of his priesthood. In his obituary it was said
of him that 'he was not by any means a learned man, but what he lacked in
knowledge, he made up in shrewdness. His great alertness, agility and
health of body, his great vigour and activity lived with him up to the
last. His attractive personality drew people to himself wherever he went,
particularly so in the administrations of the sacraments.'
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