Men of Devotion

 As we enter into the Christian festival of Easter, I decided the subject of this week's blog should be exceptional men of the clergy. 

I bring you two Catholic Priests who really made a difference.

DEAN JAMES HANLY

Hanly was born in Tipperary, Ireland in 1815, the eldest child of Michael and his wife Ellen (nee Heffernan). He was studying at St Johns College Waterford when Bishop John Bede Polding made a recruiting visit and encouraged Hanly to come to Sydney. He accepted and a party of nineteen including four priests of the Passionist Order and three Christian Brothers departed Liverpool England aboard the "Templar" on 1st November 1842. The vessel arrived in Sydney on 9th March 1843. 

He entered St Mary's Seminary and in September of that year was ordained. Hanley first served in the Moreton Bay area in Queensland. At the time, nearby Brisbane was just a village with a population of less than 700, the whole population of Queensland numbering about 2000. 

When Father Hanley took up residence there was no Post Office in Queensland, the first being established in 1844. There were but 4 lawyers in the State and perhaps just 5 Doctors. 

He was appointed to setting up the old St Stephens church in the convict settlement of Moreton Bay. This feat was achieved with the first service being held in 1850. Although the church was relatively small it served as a Cathedral for many years and was the oldest church in Queensland. Hanly accompanied the builder, supervising the work and frequently acting as a labourer. 

Old St Stephen's Catholic Church - Wikipedia

For many years he was the only Catholic Priest in Queensland!

Dean James Hanly - Ancestry.com via public access

To attend his first council meeting to discuss ecclesiastical business in 1844, he rode a horse from Brisbane to Sydney, along indistinct tracks, led by only instinct. Hanley astonishingly completed the journey in a week!

He took up an appointment at Yass on 20th June 1861, an area that was expanding rapidly. Hanly was made a Dean and mooted to be the next Bishop of the area. However, when the Parish Priest from Berrima, William Lanigan, accepted the appointment of Bishop, Hanley returned to Sydney in 1867 where he became Pastor at Penrith and later at Manly. Finally, he became Chaplain at Rosebank Convent Five Dock where he died in 1895, aged 80 years. 

He was buried in the Catholic Priests area behind the St Michael the Archangel Chapel. For many years his grave was unmarked (along with several others) until The Catholic Cemetery Trust erected a headstone to coincide with the 100th anniversary of his death.

Dean James Hanly headstone - author's own

JAMES MEANY 

James was born in May 1879 in County Cork, Ireland, the eldest son of John Meany and his wife Margaret (nee Cronin). Educated locally he was ordained at All Hallows' College, Dublin, in June 1904.

Setting sail for Australia soon after Meany arrived in Sydney in November that year. He served as a Curate in parishes in Leichhardt, Concord and then at St Mary's Cathedral. In 1910 he was appointed Diocesan Inspector of schools. In his role he advocated for the need for more boys' schools and male religious teachers. 

In 1919 Meany became Parish Priest at Drummoyne, a position he retained until his death and set about building a substantial church. He was appointed a Parish Priest Consultor and Diocesan Assessor in 1920 and a member of the advisory committee (later Chairman) of Santa Sophia College, within the University of Sydney, in 1925.

St Mark's Catholic Church Drummoyne - Churches Australia with much thanks 

Meany attended the International Eucharistic Congress at Chicago, USA in 1926 as he had been appointed the Secretary of the organising committee for the 1928 congress to be held in Sydney. In 1927 he began renting time on Radio 2UE to publicise the congress and allow Rev. Rumble to broadcast on Sundays explaining Catholic doctrine. Meany raised the finances to allow for the formation of the Catholic Broadcast Co. Ltd which obtained a licence for Radio 2SM in 1931. The station broadcast various sessions on the doctrine and history of the Church, special religious events, appeals for charities etc.

In 1929 Meany was given the ecclesiastical title of Monsignor, an honour given to only a few priests.

He was appointed a director of the Catholic Press in 1935 and finding the paper almost exhausted oversaw it's amalgamation with the Freemans Journal in 1942 to create the Catholic Weekly. The publication developed into a modern tabloid featuring local and international news with pages for women and statements from the Cardinal. 

Image of Monsignor James Meany - Gale with much thanks 

Meany was constantly called upon to be a board member and representative of the Catholic church in many Catholic organisations but by the late 1940's his health was failing, and he had to relinquish many of his roles. Even though he was advised by his Doctor to have a six-month break in 1951, he remained on the Boards of radio 2SM and the Catholic Weekly.

Meany died in his radio 2SM office Sydney on 23 June 1953. He was buried in the Catholic priests' section near Dean Hanly after a requiem mass at St Mark's Drummoyne, the church he had built. He left a sizable estate largely for Catholic school children in Drummoyne. 

Monsignor James Meany headstone - author's own

As we move through this sacred and special time in the Christian calendar take time to pay respect to two men who devoted their life to God and service to the public.

Trove (recently thrown a lifeline by the Federal Government) has many references to these devoted individuals. Many other references can be found via a Google search and or via Ancestry.

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Until next week!