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Collection
Irish Jesuit Missions Irish Jesuit Mission to Australia, 1865-1931 Missionary work
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Australian Mission

The Irish Jesuit Mission to Australia was initiated due to the will of Fr John Joseph Therry (1790-1864), who named the Irish Jesuits as beneficiaries to his property in Australia, and by an invitation to the Irish Province by James Alipius Goold, Bishop of Melbourne (later Archbishop) (1812-1886) to set-up a mission in his diocese. The first two Irish Jesuits, Frs William Lentaigne (1805-1884) and William Kelly (1823-1909), arrived in Melbourne in September 1865. Previously, two Austrian Jesuits, Frs. Kranewitter (1817-1880) and Klinkowstroem (1819-1896) had arrived in 1848 after Jesuit expulsion from Austria. The Austrian Mission centred on South Australia and the Northern Territory. In 1901, the Austrian and Irish missions amalgamated. Australia was made a Vice-Province in 1931 and Fr Austin Kelly SJ (1891-1978) was named the first Provincial of the Australian Province in 1950.

The papers of the Australian Mission provide a comprehensive history of the Irish Jesuit Mission, concentrating on the years 1865-1931. The Irish Jesuits worked as missionaries, educators, writers, chaplains, theologians, scientists, pastors and directors of retreats, mainly in the urban communities of eastern Australia.

Subjects touched upon include: agreements with Archbishops in establishing Jesuit houses in a particular diocese; reflections on the journey to and from Australia; administration of schools, colleges, universities and Jesuit residences - (St Patrick’s, Melbourne; St Francis Xavier College, Kew, Melbourne; St Aloysius, Dunedin (NZ); St Aloysius College, Sydney ; St Ignatius College, Riverview, Sydney; St Louis, Claremont, Western Australia; Newman College, University of Melbourne); parishes - (Norwood and Sevenhills in South Australia; Invercargill (NZ); Melbourne; Sydney; Toowong and Indooroopilly in Queensland); financial documents; expansion of the Mission; and correspondence between Father Provincial in Ireland and Jesuits in Australia. By far the greatest number of letters sent to Father Provincial in Ireland was from Fr John Ryan SJ (1849-1922) (Superior of the Mission from 11 February 1901-14 June 1908; 9 April 1913-24 October 1917). Until the creation of the Australian Mission as a Vice-Province, the Irish Provincial was kept informed of every minor detail about the Mission and often decision making in Australia was delayed until approval from Dublin was given.

Although this collection provides a comprehensive history of the Australian Mission, there are some gaps. For example, the collection does not contain any deeds or other legal documents relating to property obtained by the Society of Jesus in Australia and it is presumed that these documents would have been kept by the Superior of the Mission and later the Vice-Provincial of the Vice-Province in Australia, where they remain today.

Superiors of the Irish Jesuit Mission to Australia (1865-1931)
Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ 1865-1866
Fr Joseph Dalton SJ 1866-1872
Fr Thomas Cahill SJ 1872-1879
Fr Joseph Dalton SJ 1879-2 September 1883
Fr Aloysius Sturzo SJ 2 September 1883-5 April 1890
Fr Patrick Keating SJ 5 April 1890-1 February 1895
Fr Timothy Kenny SJ 1 February 1895-11 February 1901
Fr John Ryan SJ 11 February 1901-14 June 1908
Fr Thomas Brown SJ 14 June 1908-9 April 1913
Fr John Ryan SJ 9 April 1913-24 October 1917
Fr William Lockington SJ 24 October 1917-20 June 1923
Fr Jeremiah Sullivan SJ 20 June 1923-19 March 1931

Vice-Provincials of the Vice-Province of Australian (1931-1950)
Fr John Fahy SJ 19 March 1931-25 August 1939
Fr John Meagher SJ 25 August 1939-1 October 1947
Fr Austin Kelly SJ 1 October 1947-1 November 1950

Irish Vice-Province of the Society of Jesus, 1830-

Cutting with a tribute to Fr Aloysius Sturzo SJ

Cuttings from 'The Catholic Press' of an article entitled 'How the Irish Came to Queensland. The Voyage of the "Erin-go-bragh" and a tribute to Fr Aloysius Sturzo SJ'.

Australian Vice-Province of the Society of Jesus, 1931-

Letter concerning the two fathers setting out from Ireland to establish the Australian Mission

Letter from the Irish Fr Provincial Edmund O'Reilly SJ, Milltown Park, Dublin to [ ] concerning two fathers setting out from Ireland to establish the Australian Mission (Fr William Kelly SJ and Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ). Refers to Fr Therry's brother in Cork who has agreed to co-operate in anyway so that the Jesuit fathers may secure their bequest.

O'Reilly, Edmund J, 1811-1878, Jesuit priest

Letter from the Irish Fr Provincial to the Bishop of Melbourne, on the arrival of two Jesuits

Copy of a letter from Irish Fr Provincial Edmund O'Reilly SJ, Milltown Park, Dublin to the Bishop of Melbourne, James Alipius Goold, concerning the arrival of Frs Lentaigne and Kelly in Australia in order '...to take preliminary steps for the establishment of our Society in Melbourne.'

O'Reilly, Edmund J, 1811-1878, Jesuit priest

Letter from the Superior of the Australian Mission, Fr Joseph Dalton SJ to Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ

Letter from the Superior of the Australian Mission, Fr Joseph Dalton SJ, Villa Maria, Hunters Hill, Sydney to Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ concerning the Australian Mission. Refers to a number of topics he wishes to be passed on to Irish Fr Provincial Edmund O'Reilly SJ when Fr Lentaigne returns to Ireland.

Dalton, Joseph, 1817-1905, Jesuit priest

Letters from Superior of the Mission, Australia to Fr Daniel Jones SJ

A file of letters from the Superior of the Australian Mission Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ, St Patrick's College, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Fr Daniel Jones SJ (Socius) concerning the Australian Mission and the work being carried out.

Lentaigne, Joseph, 1805-1884, Jesuit priest

'Our Australian Missions', 1886 & 1898

Copies of a publication entitled 'Our Australian Missions', 31 July 1896 (2 copies) and 1 September 1898

Australian Vice-Province of the Society of Jesus, 1931-