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newsletter deals with the history of the Patrician schools of Redfern,
Waterloo, and Forest Lodge.
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September, 2001 - Volume 8 Issue 3 |
Table of Contents
The Breastplate Readers will have received the Newsletter of the Patrician Brothers of Australia & Papua New Guinea which gives the insight into the continuing Patrician story. ÎThe Breastplateâ deals with the present and future direction of the Patrician Brothers of the Australian and Papua New Guinea province. ÎThe Green Sashâ focuses on the history, the past endeavours and achievements of the Patricians from the time of their arrival in NSW up to the closure of the Inner Sydney Schools of Redfern, Forest Lodge and Waterloo. Together, these newsletters will give our readers the complete story of the Patrician Brothers in our province. We are thrilled to be part
of this information process.
Funding for Year 2002 Our major expenses are incurred in the cost of envelopes, postage and photo reproduction. We are most thankful for the support of the Brothers and, in particular, Holy Cross College and staff who reproduce our journal. Without such support, we could not continue to produce four issues each year. It has been our practice to run a Mini Raffle to raise funds. This income is supplemented with donations received throughout the year, particularly from those who attend the Mass and Luncheon. The Committee extends its sincere appreciation to all who have supported us over the past 12 months. We know all cannot afford to assist and we look only to those who feel able to do so. We wish all to receive THE GREEN SASH. Our circulation has now passed the 200 mark. During the past eight odd years a number of our readers have sadly passed on; yet our numbers continue to increase. We must be doing something right! It has been resolved that
this year the Mini Raffle will become a Mini Guessing Competition and will
offer a First Prize of $100 only. The details appear on the back page of
this issue. We look forward to your continuing support.
Brother
Alphonsus Delaney (RIP)
Brother Alphonsus Delaney S.G. first arrived in Australia in 1889, on visitation. No record of his arrival in Sydney has been found. It is believed he left his vessel at Melbourne and travelled by rail via Albury, Wagga and Goulburn to Sydney and it is highly probable that Brother Alphonsus visited all Patrician communities as far afield as Albury, Dubbo and Armidale. Brother Alphonsus returned to Ireland in 1890 with a broad knowledge of the endeavours of the Brothers and the location of the communities and the schools; together with the practical experience of travelling over the vast distances separating them. From that time, the winds of change began to blow. His influence in the affairs of the Patrician Brothers in Australia over the next ten years, and beyond, would be profound. He next returned to the Australian province on November 2, 1895. Brother Alphonsus was then 2nd Assistant to the Superior General and arrived in NSW with plenary powers. From November 2, 1895 to May 12, 1899 he administered the province, superseding the Provincial and his Council. Let us briefly recapitulate the history of the Patricians in the Colony of NSW up to the end of 1895. 1880 Australian Bishops in Ireland; Dr. Murray [Maitland], Dr. Quinn [Bathurst], Dr Lanigan [Goulburn]. Twenty-two trainees at Mountrath ö they received three years training. 1883
Brother Dominic OâNeill and Brother Fintan OâNeill arrive aboard the SS
Cephalonia on March 7. [State Records of NSW ö Shipping Lists, 1854-1922
ö Reel 454.]
1884 Twelve Brothers arrive on the 4th and 8th of September respectively on SS Rome [8] and SS Liguria [4] [SRNSW ö Reel 463]. Aboard the Liguria is the Archbishop elect, Dr. Moran, who is called to Rome in 1885 to receive the Red Hat of the Cardinalate. Brother Dominic OâNeill remains at Maitland and is joined by Brothers Sylvester Harmey, Eugene Ryan and Benedict Sweeney. Brother Fintan OâNeill proceeds to Goulburn with Brothers Laurence Ryan, Andrew Dwyer, James Long and Malachy Dwyer. Brother Ignatius Price takes up at Bathurst with Brothers Ambrose Ryan, Louis Hynes, Anthony Lee and Albert Hanley. A conference is held at Maitland attended by Brothers Ignatius Price, Brother Fintan OâNeill and Brother Dominic OâNeill. A triumvirate has been created. The Brothers numbered 14. 1885
Six more Brothers arrive, Brothers Anselm Casey, Ambrose Dwyer, Regis Keogh,
Xavier OâGorman and Columba Reilly on October 22, aboard SS Cuzco [SRNSW
Reel 469]; Brother Stanislaus Bergin, as a member of Cardinal Moranâs entourage
on November 4, aboard SS Liguria.[SRNSW Reel 470].
1886 St Vincentâs, Redfern, a parochial school, in the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Waterloo opens on January 18. Three more Brothers arrive, Brothers Dominic Bourke, Louis Carroll and Ligouri Higgins. It is believed they left their ship at Melbourne and travelled to Goulburn by rail. Brother Regis Keogh dies at Maitland on May 18. Number of Brothers, 21. 1887 A second school opens in Goulburn. Brother Aloysius OâLeary and Brother Vincent Bourke, both colonials, join the Order. Brother Albert Hanley leaves the Order. Brothers number 22. 1888
Two more Brothers arrive, Brothers Austin and Baptist McGrath [unrelated]
on November 29, aboard SS Cuzco [SRNSW Reel 488]. The Bishop
of Maitland refuses his approval for the union of the Brothers in the colony
with the parent body in Ireland. In the December the Brothers withdraw
from the Maitland diocese. Brother Sylvester Harmey leaves the Order.
1889 St. Patrickâs College, Armidale opens on January 21. Schools open at Dubbo, Orange and Wagga. Brother Ambrose Ryan dies at Armidale on February 19. The Superior General, Brother Alphonsus Delaney, arrives on visitation. The Superior General attempts to set up a novitiate and negotiates the purchase of 28 acres at Rydalmere on the Parramatta River. A deposit of 550 Pounds is placed in the hands of a solicitor who becomes bankrupt before the transfer is executed. Subsequently 400 Pounds is recovered, but the purchase does not proceed. The number of Brothers is unchanged at 23. 1890
Seven more Brothers arrive, Brothers Regis Dwyer, John Lee, Mathew McGrath,
Stanislaus Maher, Dominic Rickerby, Andrew Ryan and James Ryan on January
31, aboard SS Parramatta [SRNSW Reel 495.]
Brother Alphonsus Delaney S.G. returns to Ireland. Brother Ignatius raised 2500 Pounds and deposited the amount into St. Josephâs Building Society, a Catholic institution in Sydney. This Society, together with most other banks, closes its doors during the depression of the 1890s. Brother Aloysius OâLeary, a colonial, dies at Bathurst on May 9. Brother Xavier OâGorman leaves the Order. The Brothers now number 27. 1891
In January, Holy Cross College opens its doors at St. Charles Villa. Two
more Brothers arrive, Brothers Patrick Fogarty and Bernard Ryan on June
21, aboard SS Orizaba [SRNSW Reel 503]. Brother Benedict OâGrady, a colonial,
joins the Order. Brother Louis Hynes dies at Goulburn on June 11.
1892
In January, all 24 Brothers attend the Annual Retreat at Ryde. School opens
at Forest Lodge
1893 Two more Brothers arrive from Ireland, Brothers Jerome McAuley and Joseph McDonell, aged 65 and 67 years, respectively. Their ages clearly show the problem facing the Order in meeting the needs of the province. No record of their arrival in New South Wales has been found. It seems they too, left their vessel at Melbourne and proceeded by rail to Goulburn. Brother Vincent Brosnan aged
40 years, believed to be a colonial, joins the Order. However, he may have
arrived with Brothers McAuley and McDonell.
1894
Brother Alphonsus Eviston, a colonial, joins the Order.
1895
Brothers Eugene Ryan and Xavier Dwyer leave the Order.
Let us now examine how the demands of the clergy for schools, particularly in 1889, caused the Brothers to over-reach their capacities. 1884. Thirteen Brothers
set out from Ireland. Owing to illness, Brother John Maher accompanied
by Brother Michael Engish leave the SS Rome at Colombo. Brother Ignatius
Price of the Indian province is enlisted in their stead. It is intended
that a total of 15 Brothers would staff the schools in the dioceses of
Goulburn, Maitland and Bathurst. However, only four Brothers would now
be available to the Maitland diocese. Only 14 Brothers are in the colony.
Brother Alphonsus Delaney, was described as Îan excellent religious, a man of strong faith. He had much of the gentleness of the dove, but lacked the cunning of the serpent and was occasionally most obstinate in his viewsâ. Brother Paul OâConnor observes, ÎEvents proved, however, that he often acted with prompt and wise decision and while not displaying cunning or serpent-like qualities, he was a competent administrator. There seems to be no evidence that he was ever hoodwinked.â Prior to Brother Alphonsusâ first arrival, in 1889, it is doubtful that the Irish regime had any comprehension of the vast area and distances covered by the Brothers in NSW. The Brothers were staffing schools as far apart as Albury, Wagga and Goulburn in the south-west to Armidale in the north, a distance via Sydney of approximately 1500 kilometres [900 miles] and Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo, which stretched over 500 kilometres [300 miles] west of Sydney. They also had the school at Redfern in Sydney. There were only 23 Brothers in NSW. In 1890, Cardinal Moran installed the Brothers at St. Charles Villa, Ryde. This was a home for invalid and retired priests. The Cardinal had reinforced the Brothers association with the Sydney Archdiocese. Brother Alphonsus and Brother Ignatius both enjoyed excellent rapport with Cardinal Moran. Brother Alphonsus returned to Ireland in 1890 with the challenge to provide more Brothers, or alternatively, to withdraw from some areas. If withdrawal became policy, who would implement it? It seems that Brother Ignatius Price was chosen for the task. In 1891, Brother Ignatius Price was appointed Head Superior in NSW. Brothers Fintan and Dominic OâNeill were recalled to Ireland. It is believed they sailed from Sydney aboard the SS Oroya on October 26. They returned on the SS Ophir, accompanied by Brother Bernard OâToole, on April 2, 1892. Thirty-two days later, on May 5, Brothers Fintan and Dominic OâNeill again set sail for Ireland aboard the SS Oruba as delegates to the General Chapter. Brother Dominic never returned to Australia. Brother Fintan did not return until 1901. Some date prior to October 1891, Brother Ignatius, then Head Superior, transferred the Redfern community to reside at Ryde as a separate community. It involved some Brothers in travel to and from Redfern, but provided a larger work force at Ryde. In the month of October, the Brothers withdrew from Dubbo. These actions seem to indicate that Brother Ignatius was taking steps to overcome the shortage of Brothers. However, the demands of Redfern together with the new school at Forest Lodge required the return of the community to Redfern in the winter of 1892. In 1893, The Australian province was created with Brother Ignatius Price, Provincial, Brothers Stanislaus Bergin, Eugene Ryan, Jerome McAuley and Andrew Dwyer as Assistants. In 1894, Brother Ignatius tendered his resignation, citing difficulties with some members of Council. This led to the arrival of Brother Anthony OâNeill S.G. on September 8, who appointed a new Provincial, Brother Anthony Lee and Brothers Stanislaus Bergin, Jerome McAuley, Ignatius Price and Dominic Rickerby as Assistants. This action seems to identify Brother Eugene Ryan and Brother Andrew Dwyer as those with whom Brother Ignatius had Îdifficultiesâ. In March 1895, Brother Anthony OâNeill, S.G. returned to Ireland. But it seems the Irish regime resolved that the province lacked direction. There were rumours the Brothers of St. Patrick were to withdraw from NSW. Brother Alphonsus Delaney arrived in November 1895. His objectives were to dispel the rumours; to withdraw from the Dioceses of Goulburn and Armidale and concentrate the Brothers in the Archdiocese of Sydney and the Diocese of Bathurst. In 1896, Brother Alphonsus purchased the present site of Holy Cross College and then personally supervised the construction. He regarded the country schools as having a limited future and expendable. He withdrew the Brothers from the schools at Armidale [1897] and Goulburn, Albury and Wagga [1898]. In closing the schools at Wagga and Albury, Brother Alphonsus would not yield to the earnest entreaties of the parish priests of those towns or of the wishes of the majority of Brothers. His practicality is evidenced in a letter ÎTell [Brother] Jarlath [Whelan, 1833-1923] that I asked for him and also tell him that I am a great bush man up to my neck in farm business. Ploughs. Harrows. Rollers. Sowing maize. Farmers friend, sorghum and potatoes, &c.â The Brothers moved into Holy Cross College at the time of the annual retreat of [January] 1898. At the end of 1898 the ratio had risen to 4.4. Brother Alphonsus had achieved his goals. In the company of Brother Joseph H. McDonell [1826-1905], Brother Alphonsus M. Delaney left Australia on May 13, 1899 to attend the General Chapter. He died, in his 91st year, at Ballyfinn, Co. Laois, Ireland on May 1, 1933. Holy Cross College, Ryde together with the parish schools of Redfern, Forest Lodge and Waterloo in the Archdiocese of Sydney and the schools of the Bathurst Diocese at Bathurst and Orange would provide the harvest for the Patrician Brothers in Australia in the first quarter of the 20th Century. However, other than a report in The Freemanâs Journal, I have been unable to document the departure of Brother Alphonus Delaney and Brother Joseph McDonell. The SS Oratava sailed from Sydney on July 12, 1899 [SRNSW Reel 467]. The Brothers do not appear on the passenger manifest. The Freemanâs Journal of July 20, 1899 on page 17, reported ÎBrother Anthony Delany (sic), Superior of the Patrician College of Holy Cross at Ryde and who has been charged with that establishment from its foundation, left for the old country by the RMS Oratava on Saturday last. Brother Anthony (sic), who goes as an Australian representative to attend the chapter meeting in Ireland, expects to be back at Holy Cross College in about six months. Meantime the sea voyage will afford him a much needed rest after the anxiety and hard work inseparable from the building of such a fine new college at that which bears the name of Holy Cross College at Rydeâ [State Library of NSW RAV/FM4/270]. A further check on vessels departing from January to end of June failed to identify Brother Alphonsus. Did Brother Alphonsus choose to travel by rail to join the Oratava at Melbourne? It seems he must have done so. Did Brother Joseph McDonell return with him? In the opinion of the writer, Brother Joseph returned with Brother Alphonsus as the second delegate to the General Chapter. Both were retained in Ireland. In
memory of all mentioned in the above.
Explanatory Note:
The above article is drawn from the writings of Brother Paul OâConnor (RIP),
copies of The Freemanâs Journal held in the State Library of NSW and Shipping
Lists, CGS 13278 held in the State Records of New South Wales. The ratios
quoted are the opinion of the writer and are based on the number of locations/schools
and Brothers in the province at the end of the particular year.
Patrician
Alumni in East Timor
Readers will recall I wrote last year about the great work of the Patrician Brothers in Aitape, Papua New Guinea. I had been there to represent Caritas Australia at the opening of the Primary School to replace that destroyed by the tsunami which struck Aitape and the surrounding villages in 1998. I have just returned from East Timor where Caritas Australia has implemented a number of programs to assist the East Timorese in their recovery. Occussi is an enclave ö an area of land totally surrounded by West Timor, yet is inhabited by East Timorese. In September 1999, militia raids completely devastated the enclave - thousands descended on the villages ö killing, maiming, looting and burning everything in sight. Over 75 per cent of the population were displaced and almost all the housing and public buildings destroyed. On returning to their villages, the people found that all their possessions had been stolen or destroyed - houses, furniture, gardens, cows, pigs and their stores of food. The terror, the fear suffered by the men, women and children will, I am sure, remain with them for the rest of their lives. It is not possible to portray, in writing, the scale of the destruction and sheer brutality. One has to see the results to comprehend the enormity. Suffice to say that those who survived lost all their worldly possessions. Thanks to the Interfet Forces ö the appreciation and praise of the East Timorese have for these men and women is unbounded ö they were able to return to their land and begin to rebuild their lives. Caritas Australia has assisted the villagers of Occussi by the following programs:
The team leader in these programs is Phil Turner, an alumnus of Patrician Brothers, Granville. I was fortunate to have taught Phil in 1965, in 5th Class. Phil had spent over ten years in Papua New Guinea prior to being recruited for this position. Prior to the conduct of the ballot in August this year, there is a good deal of work on Governance being carried out by the United Nations. One important area is taxation and the Taxation Commissioner for East Timor is Tom Story, alumnus of Holy Cross College, Ryde. Before taking up this position, Tom was National Director of Caritas Australia. He was not one of my students, but I recall Tom completing his senior studies when I was teaching at Ryde in the early 70s. Tom was a classmate of Father Kelvin Lovegrove. One feels proud to see men such as Phil and Tom helping those who have suffered such traumatic experiences; helping them to rebuild their lives and their country. The work the Patrician Brothers did in the formation of these two men, in particular, and thousands of others is now being evidenced. The mission of the Patricians to work among the materially poor continues through them. The situation here is desperate but the peoplesâ faith and devotion to Mary is clearly evident. One man told me of the importance of prayer in their lives; âthey prayer to Mary to help them, by taking away the memory of what has happened to themâ. We travelled to a remote village and met Battista Bobo. Let me relate the story of this young family man. When the militia attacked he picked up his three children, Gema (now 5 years old), Serafina (now 3 years) and Little Jose (now 2 years) and ran into the surrounding bush. Battista was chased and hacked by machetes but his children got to safety. The dreadful scars can be seen on his neck, back and chin ö they are raised and very long. Battista lives in fear the militia will return and harm him and his family. His face shows the anguish of his suffering. Please remember the people of East Timor in your prayers. Caritas Australia is the Overseas Aid and Development Agency for the Catholic Church in Australia, In carrying out that role, Caritas Australia, through their East Timor staff are doing magnificent work under extremely difficult conditions. One outstanding feature of their mission is the way they empower those with whom they work ö those who will be needed to lead their nation into the new millennium. If you would like to make a donation to Caritas Australia you can do so by contacting me, Jim Eves, on our toll free number 1800 024 413. Our postal address is 19 Mackenzie St. North Sydney, 2060. At the Annual Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on May 27 last, Brother Mark Ryan passed to Kevin Scott some photos from the past. There are two photos of interest. The first, of 3rd Class at Redfern in 1929, has appeared in The First Hundred Years and also in the program of The Centenary Concert. It has been enlarged to 25 x 16cm. The other is a group photo of the Forest Lodge 1954 Confirmation candidates. Clem Kennedy has provided photos of classes at Waterloo taken circa 1928 and 1931. Our thanks go to Brother Mark and Clem for the loan of the originals.
3rd Class, 1929 
There are 39 boys in the photo. Mum has dressed her son in his Sunday best. Suit, single or double breasted, tie or bow-tie, open-necked, blazer, jumper, shirt. Some have hair plastered down with cream with the part still in place; others have the more casual look. It truly is a delightful group photo. Sadly we know not the names of the lads. They would have been at least eight years of age at the time and, if alive today, would be in their 80th year or more. Brothers
at Redfern
Sisters of Mercy, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Waterloo 'B' Class, c. 1929 
Clem Kennedy provided the photo but cannot recall the class or the names of the other boys. However, we do know that Clem is the lad to the right of the Îblotâ. It seems that it might be a combined Class, the boys at the back seem to be older than those seated. There are 32 boys in the photograph. The dog, a Jack Russell terrier, will not leave his beloved Îmasterâ even at school. There he is, in the centre of the front row, draped over his masterâs leg. The original of this photo was so faded that we felt it could not be used. But the local photo shop did a remarkable job in reproducing this photo of years gone by. All the lads would now be 80 years of age, or more. Sadly we are unable to record the names of the Sisters of Mercy who taught at Waterloo in those years.
Patrician Brothers, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Waterloo 5th Class, 1931 
With the help of Jack Cochrane, and Arch Watson we are able to provide the following names. John Abdullah, Bill Anneslay, John Camby, ? Casey, ? Dent, Tom Donohue, Jack Hucker, Jack Jones, Clem Kennedy, Greg McIntosh, ? McManus, Bill Mulligan, Steve OâConnor, Kevin Purcell, ÎBunkyâ Russell, Ray Stahl, Russell Timby, Len Wright. However, with the exception of John Abdullah and Clem Kennedy, lack of space does not allow us to detail their positions in the photo. John Abdullah is the lad in the cap in the second row from the back and Clem Kennedy is on the extreme right of the front row. There are 44 lads in the photograph It seems from the apparel;
overcoats, suit coats, blazers, jumpers and caps,
Brothers
at Waterloo
Patrician Brothers, Forest Lodge Confirmation, 1954 
Back Row S. Ierace, P. Lowden,
R.Watson, R. Turpie, D. Simmons , R. Taylor, H. Monaghan,
2nd Row. T. Clayton, J. Danaher,
R. England, J. McWhinney, V. Wyer, G.Gellett, G. Wyer, L. Lowden,
A.Smith, D. Kennedy, J. Eves [see page 6], T. Vencenzini.
3rd Row. M. Hoolahan,
J. Wilson, J. McRae, G. Howe, N. Proctor, R. Leal, T. Dwan,
4th Row. M. Patane, P. Colwall,
W. Quinn, J. Glover, L. Flynn, B. Hickey, R. Merlo, Unnamed, T. Stone,
P. Butler, G. Addison, R. Clarke, B. Chesterton,
5th Row. P. Franks,
J. Howard, H. Harris, R. Clancy, N. Pye, N. Hoarou, A. Calamatta,
Front Row G. Goddard,
A. Baker, Unnamed, C. Cawley, K. Hardy, W. Waldron, E. Whiley, J. Ellis,
N. Glover, J. Pulis, P. Mansfield, R. Lee, G. England, Unnamed, B. OâLeary,
Brothers
at Forest Lodge
We had to devote a full page to this photo. It is in striking contrast to the photos, on other pages, taken a quarter of a century earlier. In the late twenties and early thirties the schools of Redfern, Waterloo and Forest Lodge did not boast school uniforms. Many parents could ill afford to pay school fees. But, as hard as it was, they wanted a Catholic education for their children. Each of the photos reflects
the difficulties and the pressures of the times. In every case the parents
have presented their sons for the occasion. The wonders of photography
have given us these moments
The Patrician Brothers opened a school in the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Waterloo in 1886. What was the name of the school? 1. St. Vincentâs, Redfern
PLEASE TICK YOUR SELECTION/S AND COMPLETE THE DETAILS ON THE REVERSE. The result will be announced
at the Luncheon and will be published in the December issue of
The Editor is currently overseas.
BALMAIN LEAGUESâ CLUB SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14 ö NOON FOR 1:00pm. in the BAYVIEW ROOM If you wish to obtain a copy of this form you have three options
$25.00 PER PERSON. Drinks will be to your own account. The bar will open at 12:15pm. When forwarding your reservations please provide the CHRISTIAN and SURNAME of the members of your party. Spouses, family members, etc. are invited to join with us. We look forward to the company of our Patrons, Father Les Cashen and Father John Knight, together with the Provincial, Brother Paul OâKeeffe and fellow Patrician Brothers as guests of the Alumni. Lunch is at 1.00pm. A noon to 12.15pm arrival will give you the opportunity to relax. If you can afford to do so, please donate to our Guessing Competition. Your support is deeply appreciated. PLEASE MAKE CHEQUE PAYABLE
TO: Patrician Brothersâ Alumni.
If you do not have a cheque
account why not deposit cash direct to our account
JUST ASK THE TELLER FOR HELP
PLEASE CUT ALONG THE LINE. !/We accept the Luncheon
invitation at the Balmain Leaguesâ Club for the Patrician Brothersâ Inner
Sydney Schools Alumni on Sunday, October 14.
I regret I am unable to attend,
however I wish to make a donation to the Guessing Competition.
*PLEASE MARK YOUR SELECTION/S ON THE BACK OF THIS SHEET *Please record the Guessing
Competition butt in the name of _________________________________
PLEASE POST NO LATER THAN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5.
|
On
April 3, 1888 the professed Brothers resident in Ireland assembled at Mountrath
and chose as their first Superior General, Brother Alphonsus M. Delaney.
