Item 371 - Baptismal certificate of Louis G. Loughnan

Born: 06 April 1889, Stanmore Road, Avonside, Christchurch, New Zealand
Entered: 17 June 1907, St Stanislaus College, Tullabeg, County Offaly
Ordained: 15 August 1921, Milltown Park, Dublin
Final Vows: 02 February 1925, St Ignatius College Riverview, Sydneu, Australia
Died: 16 July 1951, St Ignatius College, Riverview, Sydney, Australia - Australiae Province (ASL)

Transcribed HIB to ASL : 05 April 1931

Younger brother of Basil Loughnan - RIP 1967

by 1912 at Stonyhurst England (ANG) studying
by 1913 in Australia - Regency

◆ David Strong SJ “The Australian Dictionary of Jesuit Biography 1848-2015”, 2nd Edition, Halstead Press, Ultimo NSW, Australia, 2017 - ISBN : 9781925043280
Louis Loughnan was the brother of Basil and educated at Christchurch and Riverview. He entered the ]esuit noviciate, 17 Lune 1907, at Tullabeg, Dublin. His philosophy studies were at Stonyhurst, England, and theology at Milltown Park, Dublin.
He was ordained in 1922, and returned to Australia in 1924, teaching first at Riverview, then at Xavier, 1926-31, during which time he was prefect of studies. He was rector of Riverview, 1931-35. It was at this time that he received the Certificate of Merit from the Surf Life Saving Association of Australia for gallant efforts to rescue two youths from drowning in the surf at Avoca. He was prefect of studies at St Patrick's College, 1935, and later rector, 1943-1948. He returned to Riverview in 1948 and taught there until his death.
Loughnan was well liked by Jesuits, a thorough gentleman, and a great enthusiast, with a friendly and breezy manner. These qualities appealed especially to the young. He enjoyed their company and was the centre of fun. He was recognised as someone who would tackle any task, no matter how difficult. He was a good teacher, with his own methods of teaching Latin and drawing, as well as making relief maps. He was painstaking to a degree. He had bad luck during his term as rector of Riverview. It was the period of the Depression. He had a difficult community and had two bad accidents that severely affected his health.
However, he was experienced as a very successful rector and prefect of studies at St Patrick's College. All appreciated his thoroughness and enthusiasm, and his cheerful dealings with boys. He never spared himself with classroom teaching. He went to the Melbourne Technical School to gain sufficient knowledge to teach drawing. As rector, the senior boys found him a good guide and friend, his spirituality influencing many. During this time he never spared himself, and all the time suffered from intense headaches. In his latter days he had heart disease, and died finally in his room at Riverview prior to going to hospital.

◆ Irish Province News
Irish Province News 8th Year No 2 1933
Obituary : Father Felix Conlon

The news from Australia announcing the death of Father Felix Conlon came as a painful surprise to all in this Province who were acquainted with him, and knew his robust health. Not even when we write this - three weeks later - has any letter arrived giving an indication of illness.

Born in New South Wales on 22nd January, 1888, Father Conlon was educated at Riverview, and joined the Society at Tullabeg in 1907. Like his three years of juniorate, which were spent in Tullabeg and Milltown, his philosophy was also divided between two houses - Louvain and Gemert. On his return to Australia in 1915, he spent a little over a year at Kew, where he was able to put to advantage the knowledge of French that he had gained during philosophy. At Riverview from 1917 to 1919 to classwork and the editorship of the “Alma Mater”, he had to add the care of a division. The success of his Rugby teams and his glowing accounts of their matches in the division-prefects' journal testify to his interest and enthusiasm. After theology at Milltown and tertianship at Paray-le-Monial, Father Conlon again returned to Australia where from 1925 to last year he was stationed at Kew. Here
again he was “doc”, teaching classics and French at one time or another in nearly every class in the school.. He was also prefect in charge of the boats. In this capacity he had the satisfaction of seeing his labours crowned with success when the Xavier crew - after twenty-two years of vain. effort - was for the first time champion among the Melbourne schools. In July of last year he was appointed socius to the Master of Novices.
Father Conlon died on the 20th January, just two days before his forty-fifth birthday. Though not a student by nature, Father Conlon had passed through the long years of study and teaching with the serenity and cheerfulness that characterised him. It was these traits, too, that always gained him a welcome in a community. When he was superior of a party travelling to Australia and, later, superior of the Kew villa for five years in succession, it was again his imperturbable good humour, joined with an unaffected enthusiasm in the excursions and other forms of recreation., that made him so highly appreciated by those about him. Seculars, too, who came in contact with him, experienced from this easy natural good humor an attraction towards. him. He will be followed by the prayers of the many friends who have been won to him in this way, especially of his friends in the Society, who, often unconscious of the fact at the time, owed to him many an hour made bright and fleeting.
It was only on the last day of February that the details of Father F. Conlon's death arrived. He lost his life in a heroic effort to save a young lad who was drowning. In order to reach the poor boy Father Conlon, Mr. B. O'Brien, S.J., and a gentleman named Miller, faced a wild sea in a small boat. The boat was soon capsized. Mr. O'Brien and Mr. Miller managed to reach the shore, but Father Conlon, a poor swimmer, was never again seen alive, May he rest in peace.
Through the exertions of Father Loughnan, Rector of Riverview, assisted by a number of the Riverview Community and others, the boy was saved. They managed to get a life-line out to him, and then, in. spite of great difficulties, and only after a long struggle, they succeeded in bringing him to land.