ANZ Clergy Logo
About Help Contact
login

Rev William Woolfrey OC

Title:

Rev

First Name:

William

Middle Names:

Odilo

Preferred Name:

Surname:

Woolfrey

Order:

OC

Date of Birth:

1802

Place of Birth:

Country of Birth:

Date of Ordination:

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

Ordination Diocese:

Seminary:

Date of Death:

31-Mar-1856

Place of Death:

Sydney NSW

Country of Death:

Australia

Date of Burial:

02-Apr-1856

Place of Burial:

Lewisham, Sydney NSW

Country of Burial:

Australia

Find A Grave URL:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182750480

Appointments Table

Diocese
Place
Role
Start Day
Start Month
Start Year
End Day
End Month
End Year
Source
Hobart Hobart1846Sep1847Hobart Town Herald, 9 January 1847; Sydney Chronicle, 30 September 1847
Hobart New NorfolkSep1847Jan1852Sydney Chronicle, 30 September 1847; SMH, 6 January 1852
Sydney Brisbane WaterJan1852Apr1856SMH, 6 January 1852; Freeman's Journal, 19 June 1853; Cardinal Moran, History
Items per page:
0 of 0

Episcopal Ordinations Table

Diocese
Day
Month
Year
Place
Country
Hobart Hobart
Hobart New Norfolk
Sydney Brisbane Water
Items per page:
0 of 0

Biographical Notes

Ecclesiastical Intelligence, Sydney Chronicle, 21 November 1846, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31749289:
Two clergymen, the Rev. Norbert Woolfrey and the Rev. W.O. Woolfrey, of Loughborough, Leicestershire, were about to sail for Hobart Town, to the assistance of Bishop Willson.

---

Hobart Town Catholic Total Abstinence Society, The Hobart Town Herald and Total Abstinence advocate, 9 January 1847, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264689203:
I can assure you that Mr. Woolfrey, and myself, have not been idle since we last met, for I have been at many of the stations, among the poor prisoners, who under their sufferings, which in too many cases were great, had no one to cheer them on, and some of those parties who Providence had given the good things of this life to, and who were over these poor creatures, cared little how they were treated, or what became of them, but 'blessed are the poor in spirit.'... Mr. Woolfrey is also busy down at South Port among the poor people there, and within these few weeks he has succeeded in getting 130 or 140 to take the pledge.

---

The Church in Van Diemen's Land, Sydney Chronicle, 30 September 1847, p 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31753606:
The Rev. Mr. W.O. Woolfrey, who has recently labored under severe indisposition, has removed to some distance from Hobart Town, and the Rev. Mr. Cottham has gone to reside with him in order to be nearer to his duties among the outstations.

---

New Norfolk Quarter Sessions, Colonial Times, Hobart, 17 January 1851, p 4, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8768584:
Charles Debhehr stood charged with stealing, on the 16th of November, one horse of the value of £16, the property of Wm. O'Dillon Woolfrey. William O'Dillon Woolfrey resides at New Norfolk, and is a Roman Catholic clergyman...

---

Arrivals, Sydney Morning Herald, 6 January 1852, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12933355:
January 5.--Favorite, schooner, 96 tons, Capt. Stericker, from Port Phillip the 1st inst. ... Rev. W.O. Woolfrey

---

Gosford, Brisbane Water, 19th June, 1853, Freeman’s Journal, Sydney, 3 September 1853, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article114833259:

At a Meeting of the Roman Catholics held in the School-house, Gosford, for the purpose of taking into consideration the claims of their much beloved and respected Clergyman, the Rev. W. O. S. Wolfrey, for the purpose of presenting him with some mark of their regard and esteem for his never ceasing attention to the spiritual wants of his flock in this extensive district, and his gentlemanly demeanor to all classes of the community during his ministration amongst us. It was proposed by Mr. Denis Dwyer, and approved of by all, that subscription lists be opened for the above laudable object. And that Mr. D. Dwyer, Mr. Joseph Read, Mr. William Martin, and Mr. Michael O'Leary, do receive subscriptions at Gosford, and that Mr. James Mallon do receive subscriptions in the neighbourhood of Kingcumber, and that Mr. Dwyer be requested to act as Treasurer and receive the amounts collected.
Joseph Read.
Chairman.

Address of the People of Brisbane Water to the Rev. W.O. Wolfrey.
Rev. Sir, — We, the undersigned, on the part of the people of Brisbane Water, beg leave in presenting you with this small token of our esteem, to bear testimony to the zealous manner with which you have acted since you have been among us, we will not praise lest we might offend, but we will say that we thank God for having sent us a pastor who is ever ready, late or early, or whatever the distance may be, to attend to the spiritual, and if required, the temporal wants of his flock, and we sincerely hope that Almighty God may grant you health and strength to continue your charitable care over us. Be pleased to accept of the inclosed sum of £70 which the people of this place have cheerfully contributed for you.
We remain, Rev. Sir,
Your humble and faithful servants,
Mr. D. Dwyre,
Mr. J. Read,
Mr. James Mallon.
To the Rev. W. O. Wolfrey, Brisbane Water.

The Rev. W.O. Wolfrey's Reply.
My Dear Friends,— I receive this, your kind contribution, with gratitude. I am grateful to you and to all who have helped to realize the sum now presented to me, not because you have made me a present, for I cannot look upon it in that light, but because you have spontaneously and cheerfully fulfilled a duty you owed me as your Pastor.

My claim to your extra-pecuniary assistance, is established on a twofold ground : — the first is common to me and all my brother clergymen, viz., that we are the only class of public functionaries, whose salaries the Government has not thought proper to augment in these dear times — and this because they felt assured that the people themselves would prefer to make this necessary augmentation, and that they were in duty bound to do so.

The second ground on which I established my claim, is peculiar to myself— I think I may call it quite singular, and it is this; when I first came among you, eighteen months ago, there was no clergyman's home to receive me, nothing like a home ; my first residence here — and the same continued till lately — was cold and comfortless indeed —a little sacristy twelve feet by ten in the centre of this churchyard, and not a creature to accompany me. It was absolutely necessary that a modest home should be provided, and such a one is now provided ; and the raising the humble residence in which I now live, has cost, owing to the dearness of the times, between two and three hundred pounds, and this burthen I myself have borne exclusively, I have received assistance from no one.

This is what I call my peculiar ground of claim on you for this your extra-pecuniary assistance; for I think it is not a very common thing, that a clergyman has to build his own residence, without any assistance from his people.

Having thus explained to you the light in which I view this, your kind offering, I beg to again express to you my sincere thanks that you have fulfilled a sacred duty, a duty imposed on you not by any human law, but by the command of the church. I am grateful to you, most especially because you have commenced and carried through this contribution, as an act exclusively your own, it was planned and resolved on by you before I new anything about it, I had not even thought of such a thing. For this spontaneous good will on your part towards me I thank you, and from my heart I beg God to bless you, I devoutly pray that his best blessing may descend upon you all and that all your concerns may prosper.

As yet I have not laboured much among you, but by God's blessing, my labours shall be steady and persevering ; and my constant prayer shall be, that not one of you all may suffer the slightest spiritual loss through any neglect of mine, but rather that all may derive from the exercise of my ministry a great increase of spiritual good. I am prepared and resolved to spend my health, and strength, and life, amongst you and for you ; nor will I permit myself to be discouraged if at once I do not reap abundant fruits ; for though I have not had sufficient experience amongst you to be able to pronounce high encomiums on the goodness of the moral soil I have to cultivate, still, I would fain hope that with due cultivation it will prove a grateful and fruitful soil.

The very fact of your expressing your gratitude and respect in this substantial manner for the little I have done for you, proves to my entire satisfaction, that you set a high value on the exercise of the priestly ministry among you, and that it is your earnest desire to avail yourselves of the precious advantages flowing to you from such a heavenly dispensation.

On my part, I devoutly hope, that by the time another eighteen months shall have passed away, you will feel impelled to acknowledge yourselves much more grateful than at present, not to me but to God, the giver of all good gifts, and not merely by pecuniary contributions to your Pastor, but by the ardour of devout and loving hearts, for the many good things derived to you from the exercise of the priestly ministry in this locality.

Before I conclude, I must not forget to thank, in a very particular manner, those kind individuals who so cheerfully took upon themselves, the painful office of collecting the many small sums required to make up the handsome amount now presented to me. Indeed, I know by my own experience, that it is no pleasant task, to go to the scattered members of my flock, living, as many of them do, at a considerable distance, and separated from us by bulgas and bogs, by creeks, and almost impassable gullies.

Nor must I forget to make honorable and grateful mention of some kind Protestant neighbours, who, though but slightly acquainted with me, have been pleased to show their kind good will by adding their generous contributions.

My Dear Friends, — Again thanking you all, I humbly pray that the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, may descend upon you and remain with you for ever.

---

Kincumbar. Boarding and Day School, Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 28 October 1854, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115555576:
Mr. and Mrs. Beetham beg leave most respectfully to inform the inhabitants of Brisbane Water and the surrounding districts that they intend to open a School at Kincumbar on Thursday, the 2nd November, for the education of Boys and Girls, under the clerical superintendence of the Reverend W.O. Woolfrey, to whom reference may be made.

---

Deaths, People's Advocate and New South Wales Vindicator, Sydney, 5 April 1856, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251548181:
Of your charity, pray for the repose of the soul of the Rev. W.O. Woolfrey (Cistercian order), who died at No. 8, Macquarie-street South, aged 54, on Monday, the 31st March.

---

Deaths, Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 5 April 1856, p 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115558149:
Of your charity pray for the soul of the Rev. W.O. Woolfrey, O.C., who departed this life on Monday, March 31, 1856, aged 54. — Pie Domine Jesu Dona ei requiem.

---

Death and Obsequies of the Rev. Odilon Woolfrey, Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 5 April 1856, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115558144:

It is our melancholy duty to record the demise, after a long and painful illness, of the Reverend Father Odilon Woolfrey, Cistercian, who closed his earthly career on Monday last, the Vigil of the Feast of St. Benedict, Patriarch of Monks.

The Reverend gentleman whose death we chronicle, was born towards the close of the year of our Lord 1802, and was consequently in his 54th year. At an early age — that of sixteen — with all the fervour of religious enthusiasm which ever distinguished him, he offered his humble services to Almighty God — or rather he offered up himself — totally — unreservedly; for he became a Novice among the Cistercians — one of the most austere Orders in the Church — at La Trappe in France, where he remained till the blind and despotic policy of Louis Philippe drove them out of France.

Like the hidden life of our Saviour, is the hidden life of all his true servants. The time which is passed in solitude and silence is not generally deemed so important as that spent in action; nevertheless, in the economy of God's Providence we always find the most distinguished of His servants led, as it were, by the hand, into that very solitude and silence, to prepare them the more fitly and faithfully to discharge their duties in the world. Thus it was with Father Woolfrey. In the retirement of La Trappe, he acquired that learning, unction, self-denial, and habitual holiness of life, which so admirably prepared him for the duties of a Foreign Mission.

His labours in Tasmania and New South Wales for many years, are too well known to most of our readers to claim particular comment.

His obsequies took place on Wednesday last. In the morning a pontifical Requiem Mass was celebrated by his Grace the Archbishop; and at half-past three the funeral procession moved from the Cathedral, to the last earthly home of every child of Adam. The solemn and impressive service of the Roman Ritual was subsequently gone through, and the mortal remains of the venerable priest left in the cold, dark, damp grave, to await the breathing of that Omnipotent Power, which is to kindle new life in the dead, and bid the mortal put on immortality. A good citizen, a saintly man, a true monk, and a zealous priest, is gone from amongst us — but gone, we may humbly hope, to a better home — to "The bosom of his Father and his God."

Our tribute of respect to the memory of the late Father Woolfrey would be incomplete, were we not to express our unaffected condolence to the Rev. Father Norbert Woolfrey on his bereavement. He has lost in truth a loving brother — a brother his by a triple title — a brother by blood, by religious profession, and by the Sacerdotal character. We deeply sympathise with him, and join our humble prayers to his, for the repose of Father Odilon's soul.

Requiescat in pace.

---

Patrick Francis Cardinal Moran, History of the Catholic Church in Australasia, 1895, p 419:

Two other smaller contingents of missionaries to the aboriginals from religious bodies set out from Europe at a later period, but as the missionaries in these cases never reached the black tribes, but were all employed by the Bishops on the ordinary mission amongst the white men, their history offers but small information in the matter of which we treat.

The first small contingent came from the Cistercian Order in England. It consisted of Father Odillo Woolfrey, Father Norbert Woolfrey, and a postulant. They landed in Tasmania in 1846, and after a little intercourse with the remnant of the blacks of that island (only sixteen survived out of the race, which was a totally distinct race from the blacks of the continent of Australia, and once numbered tens of thousands: all sixteen are long since dead and the race extinct), the missionaries came to the Archbishop, in Sydney, who located them at Brisbane Water, but the Superior, Father Odillo Woolfrey, soon after died. Father Norbert Woolfrey joined the clergy engaged in the mission among the white population. The postulant, afterwards Father Johnson, was ordained as a priest of the Archdiocese. Both these missionaries served the Archdiocese long and well. Both died in the year 1872.

Sort