Rev Thomas Claffey SJ
Title:
Rev
First Name:
Thomas
Middle Names:
Preferred Name:
Surname:
Claffey
Order:
SJ
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Castletown, Co Meath
Country of Birth:
Ireland
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Country of Ordination:
Ireland
Ordination Diocese:
Seminary:
St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Sydney NSW
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Gore Hill NSW
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Riverview | Teacher, St Ignatius College | Linane Vol 2 | ||||||
| Melbourne | Kew | Teacher, Xavier College | 1905 | Linane Vol 2 | |||||
| Melbourne | Hawthorn | 1908 | 1915 | Linane Vol 2 | |||||
| Melbourne | Hawthorn | Parish Priest | 1922 | Linane Vol 2 | |||||
| Sydney | North Sydney | 1922 | 1931 | 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 42:
Claffy, Thomas, Very Rev., SJ, Irish, Golden Jubilarian
"Sound, Practical Judgment"
The above acclamation of Father Claffy is found in Father Henry Johnston's book 'A Seed That Grew', page 96. Probably the Castletown (there are so many on Ireland's Map) where Thomas Claffy was born on 25 March 1853, is in County Meath. He was educated at St. Fintan's College, and later at Maynooth - from where he was ordained for the Diocese of Meath in June 1880. After serving that Diocese for eleven years he joined the Society of Jesus on 6 October 1891. Arrival in Australia took place in 1895, and first appointment would seem to be the teaching staff at St.Ignatius', Riverview. (CD 1897). He was then transferred to Xavier College, Kew; remaining on until 1905. Pastoral work then became his lot at Hawthorn from 1908 to 1915. He was pastor in charge for a number of years (CD 1915), and still located there until transferring to North Sydney in 1922 or 1923. In his book (referred to above) Father Johnston S.J. states that he was stationed in North Sydney for two periods, adding he was a "man of deep knowledge and sound practical judgment". The last years of life were spent at North Sydney. Death came his way on 15 September 1931, and burial took place in the old Gore Hill Cemetery. The age of 78 and a Golden Jubilee of Priesthood had been attained.
(Footprints, Vol. 2, No. 4)
Ref.: 'A Seed That Grew', by Father Henry Johnston, S.J.
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Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Claffey, Thomas
Pastor, born County Meath, Ireland, 25 March 1853; died Sydney, 15 September 1931, aged 78.
Thomas Claffey, a big, cheerful, breezy man, entered the Jesuit noviciate at Tullamore, as a secular priest, 6 October 1891. He studied a year of theology at Milltown Park before going to Australia and teaching at St Aloysius' College, 1895-97. A short term at Xavier College followed, 1897-04, before he began parish ministry at Hawthorn, 1904-08, and 1910-23, and North Sydney, 1908-10 and 23-31. He resided at Loyola College, Greenwich, during his last illness.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)