Rev Willie Cain
Title:
Rev
First Name:
William
Middle Names:
Preferred Name:
Willie
Surname:
Cain
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Listowel, Co Kerry
Country of Birth:
Ireland
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Maynooth, Co Kildare
Country of Ordination:
Ireland
Ordination Diocese:
Ballarat
Seminary:
St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Portland VIC
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Appointments Table
Diocese | Place | Role | Start Day | Start Month | Start Year | End Day | End Month | End Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballarat | Bungaree | Linane Vol 2 | |||||||
| Ballarat | Charlton | 1907 | Linane Vol 2 | ||||||
| Ballarat | Hamilton | 1907 | Linane Vol 2 | ||||||
| Ballarat | Colac | Linane Vol 2 | |||||||
| Ballarat | Portland | Parish Priest | 1909 | 1941 | Linane Vol 2 |
Biographical Notes
Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, p 14:
Cain, William, Irish, Golden Jubilarian
Lover of his Parish by the Sea
'Willie', many of his clerical friends called him; and he often assured those friends that his parish by the sea at Portland, Victoria, was worth another few hundred 'pownds' a year because it was well removed from the Bishop living in Ballarat. None the less, William Cain was a priest highly devoted to his duty and to his people. His birthplace, Listowel in County Kerry, must compare favourably with any other district in Ireland in its contribution of priests to the Australian Mission. Early education was obtained at St. Michael's School, Listowel, and from there he went on to St. Brendan's College, Kilkenny, and later to Maynooth. Some might have thought there was a Maynooth pomposity in Father 'Willie', but actually his formal kind of manner was more of an attempt to be gentlemanly with everyone, especially with his fellow priests. Ordination at Maynooth took place on 4 Sept. 1898, and his first appointment on coming to the Ballarat Diocese was at Bungaree with another gentlemanly character, Fr. Daniel Devane. Later he served in the Mallee parish of Charlton, going from there to the extensive parish of Hamilton in 1907. A few years were spent at another extensive parish in the south, Colac, where he is reputed to have said the first Masses ever at Cororooke and Johanna River. In 1909 he became Parish Priest of Portland, remaining at his post until 1941. The Catholic people there (never numerous in proportion to the rest of the community), as well as non-Catholics, held Fr. 'Willie' in high regard. But by none was he held in greater regard than with the Loreto Sisters who taught the parish school. He retired in 1941 to live in a cottage near the parish church and facing the sea. Death took place on 11 Jan. 1951 at the age of 77. He had lived to see a Golden Jubilee of service. Burial took place in the local cemetery.
(Footprints, Vol. 1, No. 12)
Ref.: MDHC File, Torquay.