Brother Ignatius

Patrick Barry (1914 or 1915 – 12 August 1987), better known under the religious name Brother Ulric Ignatius or simply Brother Ignatius, was a prominent Irish educator and missionary who served as the director of St. Joseph's Institution in Singapore and St. John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur.

Early life and education Brother Ignatius was born in the mid-1910s. He trained under the De La Salle Brothers in Dublin in his youth.

Career Brother Ignatius came to British Malaya as a missionary around 1930. He came to Singapore in 1938 to teach at the St. Joseph's Institution (SJI).

Brother Ignatius was appointed the headmaster of SJI, a position then referred to as Brother Director, in 1951. He felt that it was important to "try to develop a good civic spirit in each [student] so that they would know how to conduct themselves at all times." A student of his, Goh Sin Tub, felt that Brother Ignatius was "ahead of his time" in that he "believed in total education; of the mind, soul and body." Brother Ignatius resigned as principal of SJI in 1957. A farewell dinner and dance was held at the school hall on 10 February; this was attended by over 200 people. He left Singapore on long leave on 4 March.

During the Japanese occupation, which lasted from 1942 to 1945, Brother Ignatius was sent to the failed Bahau settlement, where he contracted malaria. Even after recovering, he would continue to experience "recurrent bouts" of the disease. After retiring, he left for Ireland and spent his final years at the Castle Town Home for Retired Brothers. He died there on 12 August 1987 while receiving treatment for malaria and high blood pressure.