Michael Kelly (bishop)
Irish College in Rome |
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Styles of Michael Kelly | |
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Your Grace or My Lord Archbishop | |
Religious style | Archbishop |
Michael Kelly (13 February 1850 – 8 March 1940) was an Irish-born
Early life
Born at
Kelly received his seminary formation at
Kelly served on the staff of the House of Missions, Wexford and was made vice-rector of the
Episcopal ministry
Elected
Kelly eventually succeeded to the See of Sydney on 16 August 1911 on the death of
During the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, Kelly publicly criticised the federal government's "impious refusal" to allow Catholic priests to minister to dying victims, in particular nurse Annie Egan who died without receiving the last rites. He sent a telegram of protest to acting prime minister William Watt, and then when no response was received attempted to enter the North Head Quarantine Station, where he was told he would be arrested if he attempted to enter.[4]
As Kelly continued his crusade for temperance and he undertook extensive fund-raising for Catholic schools. It is estimated that £12,000,000 was spent on scholastic and church properties from the time of Kelly's arrival in Sydney until his death. St Mary's Cathedral was completed in 1928 and statues of Kelly and Moran stand in the main portal.[3] He took a less belligerent attitude to sectarian tensions and political questions such as Irish affairs than Archbishop Mannix of Melbourne.[5]
In recognition of his extensive service to the church, Kelly was named Assistant to the papal throne, associated with the title Roman count, on 25 June 1926. Kelly died in Sydney aged 90, still of sound mind.[3]
See also
- Catholic Bishops and Archbishops of Sydney
References
- ^ "Archbishop Michael Kelly". The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. David M. Cheney. 27 September 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d Percival Serle (1949). "Kelly, Michael". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Angus & Robertson. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
- ^ Adams, Michael (3 December 2018). "How one woman's death from Spanish flu caused outrage in Australia". News.com.au. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ^ P. O'Farrell, Archbishop Kelly and the Irish question, Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 4 (3) (1974), 1–19.