Booklet commemorating 100 years of the Society of Jesus in Australia entitled 'A Century of Jesuit Achievement 1865-1965.'

The Irish Jesuit Mission to Australia was initiated due to the will of Fr John Joseph Therry (1790-1864), who named the Irish Jesuits as beneficiaries to his property in Australia, and by an invitation to the Irish Province by James Alipius Goold, Bishop of Melbourne (later Archbishop) (1812-1886) to set-up a mission in his diocese. The first two Irish Jesuits, Frs William Lentaigne (1805-1884) and William Kelly (1823-1909), arrived in Melbourne in September 1865. Previously, two Austrian Jesuits, Frs. Kranewitter (1817-1880) and Klinkowstroem (1819-1896) had arrived in 1848 after Jesuit expulsion from Austria. The Austrian Mission centred on South Australia and the Northern Territory. In 1901, the Austrian and Irish missions amalgamated. Australia was made a Vice-Province in 1931 and Fr Austin Kelly SJ (1891-1978) was named the first Provincial of the Australian Province in 1950.

The papers of the Australian Mission provide a comprehensive history of the Irish Jesuit Mission, concentrating on the years 1865-1931. The Irish Jesuits worked as missionaries, educators, writers, chaplains, theologians, scientists, pastors and directors of retreats, mainly in the urban communities of eastern Australia.

Subjects touched upon include: agreements with Archbishops in establishing Jesuit houses in a particular diocese; reflections on the journey to and from Australia; administration of schools, colleges, universities and Jesuit residences - (St Patrick’s, Melbourne; St Francis Xavier College, Kew, Melbourne; St Aloysius, Dunedin (NZ); St Aloysius College, Sydney ; St Ignatius College, Riverview, Sydney; St Louis, Claremont, Western Australia; Newman College, University of Melbourne); parishes - (Norwood and Sevenhills in South Australia; Invercargill (NZ); Melbourne; Sydney; Toowong and Indooroopilly in Queensland); financial documents; expansion of the Mission; and correspondence between Father Provincial in Ireland and Jesuits in Australia. By far the greatest number of letters sent to Father Provincial in Ireland was from Fr John Ryan SJ (1849-1922) (Superior of the Mission from 11 February 1901-14 June 1908; 9 April 1913-24 October 1917). Until the creation of the Australian Mission as a Vice-Province, the Irish Provincial was kept informed of every minor detail about the Mission and often decision making in Australia was delayed until approval from Dublin was given.

Although this collection provides a comprehensive history of the Australian Mission, there are some gaps. For example, the collection does not contain any deeds or other legal documents relating to property obtained by the Society of Jesus in Australia and it is presumed that these documents would have been kept by the Superior of the Mission and later the Vice-Provincial of the Vice-Province in Australia, where they remain today.

Superiors of the Irish Jesuit Mission to Australia (1865-1931)
Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ 1865-1866
Fr Joseph Dalton SJ 1866-1872
Fr Thomas Cahill SJ 1872-1879
Fr Joseph Dalton SJ 1879-2 September 1883
Fr Aloysius Sturzo SJ 2 September 1883-5 April 1890
Fr Patrick Keating SJ 5 April 1890-1 February 1895
Fr Timothy Kenny SJ 1 February 1895-11 February 1901
Fr John Ryan SJ 11 February 1901-14 June 1908
Fr Thomas Brown SJ 14 June 1908-9 April 1913
Fr John Ryan SJ 9 April 1913-24 October 1917
Fr William Lockington SJ 24 October 1917-20 June 1923
Fr Jeremiah Sullivan SJ 20 June 1923-19 March 1931

Vice-Provincials of the Vice-Province of Australian (1931-1950)
Fr John Fahy SJ 19 March 1931-25 August 1939
Fr John Meagher SJ 25 August 1939-1 October 1947
Fr Austin Kelly SJ 1 October 1947-1 November 1950

Copy letters from Fr General Peter Beckx SJ to the Superior of the Australian Mission Fr Joseph Dalton SJ.

Correspondence mainly between Irish Fr Provincial, Fr Leonard Sheil SJ and the English Provincial, relating to Fr Sheil’s Mission work in England. Includes:
– incomplete letter from Fr Sheil to the Provincial referring to a Mission he and Fr Robert L. Stevenson SJ are to give in Peterborough, ‘We will run one mission in a hostel, and another in the church at the same time. There are 180 Irish in the hostel; and there are believed to be about 400 in lodgings around the town. We may, or may not, be able to get at them.’ Also describes his recent travels on the Continent (third page of letter is missing) (12 Sep. 19--, 2pp);
– letter from Fr Sheil to the Provincial describing a ‘country mission in Northampton’ where he “was told to take a different village every day, say Mass in some Catholic house, visit every house – Catholic or no, and ‘hold a service’ on the village green in the evening” (2 September 19–, 7pp);
– covering letter and note (January 1953, 2pp) from Fr Sheil to the Provincial enclosing a memorandum entitled ‘Relations between Irish and English Jesuit Missioners’ (n.d., 3pp);
– covering letter from Fr Sheil (13 April 1953, 1p.) to the Provincial, enclosing a letter he received from the Archbishop of Cius and English Apostolic Delegate following Fr Sheil’s report to him of 1952 Mission work. The Archbishop writes ‘I have read with deepest interest the reports sent to me by the Reverend Father L. Sheil, S.J. and I have informed the Holy See of all the splendid work that has been accomplished. For this most necessary apostolate, certainly the Delegate of the Holy Father must send a cordial blessing in the name of His Holiness and he is confident that, with God’s help, more and more will be achieved for those who stand so much in need of the ministry of their own priests’ (9 April 1953, 1p.);
– copy letter from the Irish Fr Provincial Thomas Byrne to the English Fr Provincial Desmond Boyle SJ, regarding Fr Boyle’s ‘wishes concerning the activities of the Irish Mission staff in England’. States ‘I have…instructed Father Leonard Sheil to confine his activities in future to Camp Missions during the autumn months, and, once he has fulfilled his programme in London this autumn, to approach no parish priest about a parish Mission nor to accept any parish Mission without a specific request from Father Farrell.…I think he (Fr Sheil) has done good work for the Irish in England, some of which, such as the Confraternity in Birmingham, may be of permanent worth. But whatever good he has achieved is due in no small measure to the co-operation of the English Province and the support he received from the English parish clergy’ (22 Apr. 1953, 1p.);
– Fr Boyle’s reply thanking Fr Byrne for his co-operation and stating ‘I only hope that we of this Province have not seemed too difficult or dog-in-the-manger-ish. The position was getting rather confused and it seemed desirable to regularize it. Your mission Fathers have done wonderful work in England, and I am quite sure that Fr Sheil will be approached either directly or through Fr Farrell for further missions’ (29 Apr. 1953, 1p.);
– letter to Fr Sheil from Dr James Staunton, Bishop of Ferns in which he remarks ‘I was glad to know that you are going to St. Wilfrid’s York, and I hope your Fathers and yourself will be invited to give many missions in the secondary modern schools, and pioneer in this sphere’ (20 Aug. 1958, 2pp);
– letter to the Provincial from Fr Sheil describing the work of two Irish chaplains in London – Fr Cullen in Warwick Street and the chaplain in Bayswater (Sep. 1967, 2pp).
Also includes list drawn up by Fr Sheil of Jesuits who ‘should give a very good priests’ retreat’ (n.d., 2pp).

Cuttings from 'The Catholic Press' of an article entitled 'How the Irish Came to Queensland. The Voyage of the "Erin-go-bragh" and a tribute to Fr Aloysius Sturzo SJ'.

A file of letters from Joseph Alipius Goold, Bishop of Melbourne, Bishop's House, Melbourne, Australia to Irish Fr Provincial Edmund O'Reilly SJ concerning an invitation to the Irish Province to set up a mission in his diocese.

Letter from the Irish Fr Provincial Edmund O'Reilly SJ, Milltown Park, Dublin to [ ] concerning two fathers setting out from Ireland to establish the Australian Mission (Fr William Kelly SJ and Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ). Refers to Fr Therry's brother in Cork who has agreed to co-operate in anyway so that the Jesuit fathers may secure their bequest.

Letter from Fr Dominic Connell SJ to Fr John Ryan SJ. Includes a letter referring to the lack of discipline of the scholastics whilst on villa (14 May 1915, 1p).

Letter from Fr General Peter Beckx SJ to the Superior of the Australian Mission, Fr Joseph Dalton SJ discussing the Australian Mission.

Letter from Fr John McEncroe, Archdiocese, Sydney, Australia to Fr John Callan SJ concerning the introduction of Fathers from the Society of Jesus into the Diocese of Sydney.

Letter from Joseph Alipius Goold, Archbishop of Melbourne, Archbishop's Residence, St Patrick's, Melbourne to Fr Thomas Cahill SJ (Superior of the Mission) concerning the procurement of a community of religious to take charge of schools for girls.

Letter from Joseph Alipius Goold, Archbishop of Melbourne, writing from Brussels, Belgium to Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ concerning an urgent request by Fr Joseph Dalton SJ for a community of teaching nuns to go to Australia.

Copy of a letter from Irish Fr Provincial Edmund O'Reilly SJ, Milltown Park, Dublin to the Bishop of Melbourne, James Alipius Goold, concerning the arrival of Frs Lentaigne and Kelly in Australia in order '...to take preliminary steps for the establishment of our Society in Melbourne.'

Letter from the Superior of the Australian Mission, Fr Joseph Dalton SJ, St Patrick's, Melbourne to Fr John Ffrench SJ regarding the Australian Mission and worries expressed by Father General concerning the observance of spiritual matters and the customs of the Society.

Letter from the Superior of the Australian Mission, Fr Joseph Dalton SJ, Villa Maria, Hunters Hill, Sydney to Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ concerning the Australian Mission. Refers to a number of topics he wishes to be passed on to Irish Fr Provincial Edmund O'Reilly SJ when Fr Lentaigne returns to Ireland.

Copy letter from the Superior of the Australian Mission Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ to Father General Peter Beckx SJ concerning the Australian Mission.

Copy letter from the Superior of the Australian Mission Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ, St Patrick's College, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Father General Peter Beckx SJ, Rome, Italy concerning the Australian Mission and his visit to Australia.

A file of letters from the Superior of the Australian Mission Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ, St Patrick's College, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Fr Daniel Jones SJ (Socius) concerning the Australian Mission and the work being carried out.

Letters to the Irish Fr Provincial, mostly from Fr Leonard Sheil SJ, relating to his Mission work throughout Ireland. Includes:

• letters concerning a Retreat given by Fr Sheil in Killorglin, County Kerry, a lecture in Cashel, County Tipperary and Missions in Cobh, County Cork and Harrington Street, Dublin (24 November 1943 - 7 August 1945, 6 items);
• letter from Fr Sheil offering to ‘go to any country where…I would be of use in the service of God, Africa, Australia, China or the Continent.’ Also seeks permission to become the Spiritual Director of the International Catholic Girls’ Protection Society (see also J16/5). ‘Their work (they are some thirty years in existence in Dublin) was chiefly the meeting and protecting of girls travelling, especially to England. Now it includes a registry office of which the object is to find work for girls in Ireland and so obviate the necessity of going to England.…They hope to start a small training hostel for domestics. The Archbishop is very favourable.…I have given their radio broadcast for the past five years, bringing in £100 more or less each year. The work of the Spiritual Director would be to attend the monthly meeting of the Committee…and on these occasions to give what assistance he can as a priest.…In favour of it,…it offers a field of work for youth; and…perhaps no class of youth needs help more than the young country girl, perhaps from a convent orphanage, who comes to Dublin to domestic service…’ (21 Feb. 1946, 3pp);
• letter from Socius Fr John Coyne SJ to the Irish Provincial relating to a report in the 'Irish Press' of a lecture on ‘Friends of Soviet Russia’ given by Fr Sheil to the Ringsend C.Y.M.S. in which Fr Sheil referred to Dáil Éireann members as ‘frightful loafers’. Encloses clipping of report (2 Dec. 1946, 1p.) and letter from Fr Sheil to Fr Coyne explaining the circumstances of the lecture (n.d., 2pp);
• letter from Fr Sheil reporting on a number of young men who wish to join the Society and his activities on a recent visit to the North of Ireland (2 Apr. 1947, 4pp) and
• letter to the Irish Provincial Fr Thomas Byrne SJ from Dr Edward Doorly, Bishop of Elphin stating ‘Father Sheil did not give any offence worth mentioning and further…he gave a splendid Retreat to the priests’ (18 May 1949, 1p.).

Letters to the Irish Provincial on various matters. Includes letters concerning:

• Polish scholastics coming to Ireland to study;
• the censuring individual scholastics;
• financial matters of the late Fr Henry Browne SJ;
• the taking of villas during wartime;
• a report on Irish theologians in Hong Kong;
• the question of censorship of various publications (See also ADMN/3/1 and 23);
• the question of Jesuit support for the Catholic Association for International Relations;
• a proposal by Fr Patrick J Connolly SJ to open a Jesuit school in Dartry;
• the Secret Instruction of the Holy See: Normae Quaedam De Agendi Ratione Confessariorum Circa VI Decalogi Praeceptum;
• the prohibition of female characters in plays produced by scholastics;
• comments on Director’s Service from Sodality reports of summer 1944 (See also ADMN/3/65 and 74);
• the publication of a book entitled Selected Writings of Father Ledochowski (See also ADMN/3/44);
• an invitation to the Irish Fr Provincial to the inauguration of President Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh (see also ADMN/3/43 and 76) in June 1945, signed by Taoiseach Éamon de Valera;
• relations with the Confederación Nacional de Congregaciones Marians;
• the proposal to purchase Crawfordsburn Estate, County Down (see also ADMN/3/6);
• the Chair of Education in University College, Dublin and
• some suggestions about choirs in the Province.

Handwritten notebook detailing the early history of the Australian Mission (one notebook appears to be missing).

Handwritten notebook detailing the early history of the Australian Mission (Victoria).

Notebook detailing the early history of the Australian Mission (in New South Wales).

Notes written by Fr Joseph Dalton SJ on the Sydney Mission.

Copies of a publication entitled 'Our Australian Missions', 31 July 1896 (2 copies) and 1 September 1898

A file of photographs, of landscapes and a house, of villa (holiday) at Mornington, Victoria.

Published letter from Fr Michael Watson SJ, St Patrick's College, Melbourne, Australia to the novices of the Irish Province concerning missions given by the fathers in Australia in various parts of the country.

Report on the mission in Australia written by the Superior of the Mission Fr Jeremiah Sullivan SJ.

Book entitled 'The Society of Jesus in Australia.'