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 Fath...