File 238 - Letters from Fr Joseph Mulhall SJ to the Irish Fr Provincial concerning the mission in Australia

Identity area

Reference code

IE IJA MSSN/AUST/238

Title

Letters from Fr Joseph Mulhall SJ to the Irish Fr Provincial concerning the mission in Australia

Date(s)

  • 25 May 1867-2 September 1886 (Creation)

Level of description

File

Extent and medium

41 items

Context area

Name of creator

(22 March 1820-13 February 1897)

Biographical history

Born: 22 March 1820, Dublin City, County Dublin
Entered: 21 September 1839, Oude Abdij, Drongen, Belgium - Belgicae Province (BELG)
Ordained: 1855
Final Vows: 08 December 1860
Died: 13 February 1897, St Ignatius Church, Church Road, Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

1839-1841: Oude Abdij, Drongen, Belgium (BELG), , Novitiate
1841-1842: Collège Notre-Dame de la Paix, rue de Bruxelles, Namur, Belgium (BELG), Philosophy
1842-1852: St Stanislaus College SJ, Tullabeg, County Offaly, Regency
1852-1856: Utrecht College, Utrecht, Netherlands (NER), Theology
1856-1859: St Stanislaus College SJ, Tullabeg, County Offaly, Teaching
1859-1860: Church of Saint Eusebius 'all'Esquilino', Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, Rome, Italy (ROM), Tertianship
1860-1865: Clongowes Wood, College SJ, Naas, County Kildare, Teaching
1865-1866: Milltown Park, Sandford Road, Dublinn, Minister, Procurator, Spiritual Exercises
1866-1870: St Patrick’s College SJ, Cathedral Place, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Teaching
1870-1897: St Ignatius Church, Church Road, Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Minister, Procurator, Curate
1878-1890: Superior from 20/04/1878 to 01/01/1890, Procurator, Curate; Mission Consultor
1890-1897: Prefect of Church, Curate and Parish School; Mission Consultor

◆ HIB Menologies SJ :
He first went to work in HIB Colleges having completed his studies in Holland and Rome.
1866 He was sent to Australia. Nearly al of his time there was spent at Richmond, and he was Superior there for a good number of years.
A very painful spinal disease, for which an operation proved unsuccessful brought him the loss of a lot of strength and finall death at Richmond 13/02/1897.

He had remarkable energy and zeal in education, including founding the Convent of the FCJ’s for teaching girls in the school attached to the parish. He was also responsible for the completion of the St Ignatius Church at Richmond.

Note from Isaac Moore Entry :
1866 He accompanied Joseph Mulhall to Melbourne

◆ David Strong SJ “The Australian Dictionary of Jesuit Biography 1848-2015”, 2nd Edition, Halstead Press, Ultimo NSW, Australia, 2017 - ISBN : 9781925043280

Joseph Mulhall entered the Society, 22 September 1839, and was ordained in 1850. He worked first in Jesuit colleges in Belgium and Holland, and spent a year at Milltown Park, 1865-66, as minister. He also gave retreats.

On 12 April 1867 he arrived in Melbourne and went to the parish of Richmond where he worked for 30 years. During those years he was minister, procurator and consulter, as well
superior and parish priest, 1878-93. He was also in charge of the sodalities for women and boysand was a consultor of the mission.

Mulhall developed a very painful spinal disease, for which a surgical operation proved unsuccessful. This resulted in loss of strength and finally, death. He displayed at all times
remarkable energy and zeal for the schools in his region and established the Convent of the Faithful Companions of Jesus within the parish of Richmond. It was during his time as pastor that the large parish Church was finally built.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

A file of letters from Fr Joseph Mulhall SJ to the Irish Fr Provincial concerning the mission in Australia. Includes a letter concerning the upkeep of ecclesiastical students. Remarks that he does not agree with Fr Kelly that '...we have no right to accept...money for (their) maintenance...' Continues '...in the written contract with us the Bishop promises to pray us for their maintenance. They teach for 3 hours and during Mr. Lentaigne's time, they got lectures for 2 hours now these 2 things may be said to balance each other...' (DATE). Includes a letter referring to the establishment of a boarding school in Australia. Remarks that the Society accepted St. John's University and that the Board has promised not to interfere. Remarks '...they are most anxious that we should have it - for they are most apprehensive that the government will take it into their own hands...' (29 January 1870, 6pp). Includes a letter referring to the need to build a house for the community beside St Ignatius church, Richmond (6 November 1871, 6pp). Includes a letter concerning Fr James Cullen SJ and remarks that he would welcome him to Australia. Remarks '...he is a very zealous missioner, one that would save a great number of souls here living in this parish entrusted to our care - he is exactly the father we want in Richmond...' (29 January 1884, 4pp)

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

The Irish Jesuit Archives are open only to bona fide researchers. Access by advance appointment. Further details: archivessj@gmail.com

Conditions governing reproduction

No material may be reproduced without the written permission of the Archivist. Copyright restrictions apply. Photocopying is not available. Digital photography is at the discretion of the Archivist.

Language of material

    Script of material

      Language and script notes

      Physical characteristics and technical requirements

      Finding aids

      Allied materials area

      Existence and location of originals

      Existence and location of copies

      Related units of description

      Related descriptions

      Notes area

      Alternative identifier(s)

      Access points

      Subject access points

      Genre access points

      Description control area

      Description identifier

      Institution identifier

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation revision deletion

      2000

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          Accession area