File 205 - Letters written by Fr John McInerney SJ, Chaplain to the Australian Forces describing his work his experiences of the war

Born: 24 May 1850, Kilrush, County Clare
Entered: 28 July 1871, St Aloysius College SJ, Sevenhill, South Australia, Australia - Austro-Hungaricae Province (ASR-HUN) for Hiberniae Province (HIB)
Ordained: 1883
Final Vows: 15 August 1889, Australia
Died: 22 March 1913, Loyola, Greenwich Road, Greenwich, Sydney NSW, Australia

Early Australian Missioner 1873 - first HIB Scholastic

1871-1873: St Aloysius College SJ, Sevenhill, South Australia, Australia (ASR-HUN for HIB), Novitiate
1873-1874: St Aloysius College SJ, Sevenhill, South Australia, Australia, Rhetoric
1874-1877: St Patrick’s College SJ, Cathedral Place, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (HIB), Rhetoric and Regency
1877-1880: La Maison de Saint-Michel, Laval, Pays de Loire, France (FRA), Philosophy
1880-1884: Colegio San Francisco, Oña, Burgos, Castile y León, Spain (CAST), Theology
1884-1885: La Maison de Mariendaal, Velp, Netherlands (NER), Tertianship
1885-1889: Xavier College SJ, Barkers Road, Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Teaching
1889-1891: St Patrick’s College SJ, Cathedral Place, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Prefect of Studies, Teaching
1891-1895: St Aloysius Colllege SJ, Bourke Street, Sydney NSW, Australia, Teaching
1895-1898: St Ignatius College SJ, Riverview, Cove Lane, Sydney NSW, Australia, Teaching and Missioner
1898-1899: Loyola, Greenwich Road, Greenwich, Sydney NSW, Australia, Australia, Missioner
1899-1901: St Mary’s, Miller Street, Sydney NSW, Australia, Missioner
1901-1903: St Ignatius, Norwood, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, working (HIB from 1901)
1902-1903: Chaplain with 2nd Australian Commonwealth Horse (2ACH) in South Africa
1903-1910: St Ignatius Church, Church Road, Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Curate
1910-1913: Loyola, Greenwich Road, Greenwich, Sydney NSW, Australia, Caring for health

◆ HIB Menologies :
DOB 24 May 1850 Kilrush; Ent 28 July 1871 Adelaide; FV 15 August 1889; RIP 22 March 1913 Sydney

The Report below is taken from that which appeared in the “Catholic Press” of Sydney

“There was widespread regret when it became known that Rev Father John McInerney, a distinguished member of the Jesuit Order in Australia, a great missioner, and a patriotic Irishman, had passed away at Loyola, Greenwich ... on Easter Saturday after a lingering illness. He had been born in Kilrush, Co Clare, and came to Australia with his parents while still very young. The family settled at the Bendigo diggings, and for a short time he attended the High School at Bendigo. He went afterwards to St Patrick’s College, Melbourne, and there he had amongst his teachers Fathers William Kelly, Frank Murphy and William Hughes. he was ‘dux’ of the school in 1869, and one of four who that year matriculated at Melbourne University ‘with credit’.

He entered the Society in 1871, and made his Novitiate at Adelaide. On 02/03/1877 he was sent to Europe for his studies, and he studied first in France, and afterwards in Spain and Holland. Indeed, he was studying in France when the first expulsion of Jesuits took place, and he was himself forcibly ejected from the College at Laval. He returned to Australia in 1885, and began his teaching career at his old St Patrick’s College. He was later sent to Xavier College at Kew, which had been established since his Entry. Later on he was transferred to Sydney and worked at both Riverview and St Aloysius. He then went back to St Patrick’s, but not for long as his life as a Missioner soon followed.

In 1901 Father McInerney went with the second Australian Light Horse Regiment as Chaplain, and worked for a year and a half with the forces in South Africa, greatly endearing himself to the men by his fine courage and unvarying devotion to duty.
Six years ago he was attacked by his first stroke of paralysis. He recovered from this and was able to work again at Richmond, which was ever his favourite field of labour. The less than four years ago his second stroke came. He was transferred to ’Loyola’, where he ended his days March, 22, 1913.”

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

John Mclnerney was brought to Australia as an infant, as his parents immigrated to the Bendigo goldfields, He was educated at Bendigo High School and St Patrick's College, East Melbourne. He was the first to enter the Irish province of the Society from Australia, 28 July 1871, and completed his noviceship at Sevenhill. After vows he taught rhetoric at St Patrick's College, 1874-76, and in 1877 left for Europe, first, to Laval, France, for philosophy, 1879-80, and then Oña, Spain, for theology, 1880-84. Tertianship completed his studies at Mariendaal, Holland, 1884-85.

Mclnerney arrived back in Australia, 1885 , teaching for public examinations at Xavier College, 1886-89; St Patrick's College, 1889-91; and St Aloysius' College, 1891-95, where he taught the senior classes. In 1894 he was prefect of studies. From 1895-98 he taught at Riverview, but in 1898 he was involved in rural missions. He continued this work until 1901 when he went to the Norwood parish, 1901-03; and to the Richmond parish, 1903-10. In 1902 Mclnerney went as chaplain to South Africa with the 2nd Australian Commonwealth Horse (2ACH). Failing health in 1910, including paralysis, required him to go to Loyola College, Greenwich, where he remained until his death.

Although he spent much time teaching senior students in the schools. Mclnerney was chiefly renowned in the province as a preacher and missioner in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and New Zealand. He was remembered for his devotion to his work and the interest he showed in his students. He was very thorough and did not spare himself as prefect of studies .

◆ The Xaverian, Xavier College, Melbourne, Australia, 1913

Obituary

Father John McInerney SJ

Fr McInerney died at Loyola, the recently established House of Retreats, in North Sydney, on Easter Saturday, March 22. His interest in those who were in his classes, and his devotion to his work will not be forgotten by the boys of the later 'eighties. He was, very thorough, as everyone knew, and did not spare himself as Prefect of Studies and Teacher in the upper classes in the old days.

He was born in Cláre, Ireland, in 1850, and came, when quite young, to Australia, having his first experience of school life in Bendigo. Later, he went to St. Patrick's College, from which he matriculated in 1869, and in 1871 he entered the Society of Jesus in South Australia. After some years of teaching at St Patrick's he went to Europe, and spent some time in France, where he shared in the lot of the religious, orders, who were expelled from the country. He completed his studies in Spain and Holland, and returned to Australia in 1886. In that year he came to Xavier where he remained till 1890. After a few years in Sydney, and a second period at St Patrick's, he was set aside for missionary work at St Ignatius, Richmond, where his zeal found wide scope and found as wide response.

In 1901. he was appointed Army Chaplain, and was sent with the Second Australian Light: Horse' to South Africa, where his brother, Major McInerney, CMG, had already distinguished himself by his intrepidity and courage in the earlier stages of the war. His duty kept him in Africa for a year and a half, and he found many opportunities of doing the work which he liked best. That the men of his battalion appreciated his interest in then is evident from the way in which they speak of him still.

On his return he took up work at St Ignatius' again with his accustomed energy, but after a time was stricken with paralysis. A second attack left hinı almost helpless, but even then he would not admit that he could do no more, and hoped against hope for the time when he inight go out to work again. The last years of his well-filled life were spent in the quiet of Loyola.