Struck By Lightning. Tragic Occurrence at Beaudesert. Rev. Father Enright Killed, The Brisbane Courier, 25 May 1921, p 6, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20490426:

Beaudesert, May 24.
During a heavy thunderstorm, which broke over Beaudesert at about 1 p.m today, the Rev. Father James Enright, parish priest and a horse he was riding were struck dead by lightning. Prior to the storm he was observed riding on a horse, and it is surmised that a very vivid flash which occurred at about that time caused his death. His body was not discovered until shortly before 4 p.m. Assistance was at once summoned, and Dr Beet pronounced life extinct. The saddle and saddlecloth and the deceased's clothes were torn a good deal, and about 70 yards from where the deceased was found a tree had been struck. Some money which had been in the deceased's pocket was found scattered about, some of the notes being scorched. The late Father Enright, who was 68 years of age, had been parish priest of Beaudesert for 34 years. Formerly he was stationed at Ipswich. He is survived by one sister (Mrs James Cahill, of Christmas Creek) and two brothers, both of whom reside in the Beaudesert District. The funeral will take place on Thursday morning to the Gleneagle Cemetery.

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, pp 162-163:
Fr James Enright

James Enright was born at Loughill in Co Limerick in 1853. His parents were Patrick and Mary (nee Cummane) Enright.

He was educated for the priesthood at St Patrick's College Thurles and ordained in 1880. He came to Australia on board the Cotopaxi with Fathers Michael Morris Pat Hudson and John Cummins to arrive in Brisbane on 7 November 1880 aboard the coastal steamer Elamang.

His first placement in the diocese was at Rockhampton.(1) He was then appointed as an assistant priest to Fr Andrew Horan in Ipswich.

When Bishop Dunne, in January 1884, gave Fr Scortechini leave of absence from the Logan mission to carry out botanical research in the Malay states Fr James Enright was appointed administrator of the Logan mission while Fr Scortechini was absent.

The Ipswich press published an account of a farewell from Ipswich to Fr Enright:

The Rev James Enright, who for some time has been stationed in Ipswich, has recently been promoted to the oversight of the Logan district; and his ministrations and general deportment have so won the hearts of the parishioners in this town and district that they determined that his labours should not go unrecognised and unrewarded. A committee of well-known gentlemen took the matter up, and decided that the recognition should take as practical a shape as possible, and the outcome of their congenial works was palpably visible on Thursday last, when a buggy, horse, and harness complete were presented to the rev gentleman.

Father Enright, whose emotion was considerable, said he was very glad to accept this splendid present; but he thought that the terms of the address were too flattering. … However, the gift that had been presented to him was appreciated. The rev gentleman then referred to the work of Father Horan, who, he said, had been instrumental in having built a presbytery, several churches and schools, and a convent of which the people of Ipswich might well be proud.(2)

In his 1886 Archbishop Dunne in his report on the archdiocese nominated Fr Enright as proadministrator of the Logan and Albert mission with churches at Yatala – St Mary's; Tamborine - St Patrick's; Veresdale – St Joseph's; Logan Reserve – St Bridget's; Kerry – St Columba's; Nerang – St Brigid's; Southport – not blessed; Tallebudgera – All Saints; Cooper's Plains – St Patrick's.(3) Fr James Enright was to remain in the parish until his tragic death 37 years later.

In 1933 Fr Denis O'Keeffe, while the parish priest, wrote an article in the local press on the priests who had served in Beaudesert, recording that:

Fr Enright's first baptism is dated February 12, 1884. . . Fr James came in 1884, and at once set about building a Presbytery. He was living at Tambourin as a railway was being built to Beaudesert and thus decided to make Beaudesert headquarters. St Mary's Presbytery was completed in July 1885. As there was no church in Beaudesert, Mass was celebrated in the Presbytery for three years. Then a substantial church, 50x28 feet, was opened at the cost of £400. This church was moved to Kerry when the present beautiful church was opened.(4)

For three years Fr Enright ministered alone in that extensive parish. From 1887 he had various assistant priests: Fr James O'Reilly officiated at his first baptism on 1 January 1887 staying until October 1891; Fr Philip Brady arrived in April 1892; Fr Robert O'Shea from March 1893 until June 1894; Fr Jeremiah Healy September 1894 until 1897; Fr Richard Walsh 1897 until March 1900; Fr James Bergin April 1900 to 1909; Fr William Byrne was curate from October 1909 to May 1910.(5)

An extensive area to the south was excised as Southport parish in 1892. Boonah was made a new parish in 1910. With the excision of these parishes Fr Enright, once again for a few years, was the only priest in Beaudesert. Fr John Robinson was assistant priest in 1914/1915 and Fr Owen Hayes in 1919/1920.(6)

Beside the presbytery of 1885 and the first church in Beaudesert of 1889, the first convent for the Sisters of Mercy opened in 1899 was destroyed by fire in 1929. In 1889 a convent school was opened adjacent to the convent. Four of the nine acres purchased by Fr Enright for £90 in 1884 were dedicated to school and convent. The presbytery and church were on the other five acres.

In 1901, Michael Cahill of Kildare at Christmas Creek donated land for a new church in that area. The Cahill brothers donated the timber for the construction of the Sacred Heart Church. Fr Enright was delighted with the project. In 1905 a new church with title All Saints was opened and blessed in the Boonah. Fr Enright allowed his curate Fr James Bergin to oversee this project as Fr Bergin ministered regularly in that area of the parish.

In November 1906 Fr Enright called a public meeting to consider building a new and larger church in Beaudesert. On 14 September 1907 the beautiful new St Mary's church, costing £1510/11/2, was opened by Fr Enright in the unavoidable absence of Archbishop Dunne.(7) The 1899 wooden church was dismantled and re-erected as St John's church at Kerry.

Three of Fr Enright's siblings settled in the parish. Michael established a prosperous Beaudesert business. Daniel was a dairy farmer. Margaret married farmer James Cahill. His younger priest brother, Thomas, died at the presbytery just fifteen months before Fr James's death. Fr Enright like so many of the pioneer priests in country parishes raised cattle to supplement the parish and their personal incomes. On 24 March 1921 Fr James set out to muster cattle grazing by the Logan River. A very heavy storm with vivid flashes of lightning hit the area. One resident looked out to see where Fr Enright was following the storm. A young lad going to remove a stricken tree from the roadway found the body of the deceased priest. Still on his dead horse, they had been killed when lightning struck a nearby tree.

His body was brought to the presbytery. The following day after several Masses by visiting clergy Fr James was laid to rest in the Gleneagle Catholic cemetery.

The young Fr Denis Ahern who was curate at Annerley at the time cared for the parish for a few months until Fr John Hennessy was appointed the next parish priest.

On 7 October 1923, Archbishop Duhig unveiled a handsome marble tablet, donated by parishioners of Beaudesert, to be placed in St Mary's church as a memorial to Fr James.(8)

Footnotes
1. Pugh's Almanac, 1881.
2. Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser, 15 Mar 1884, p. 5.
3. Ibid, page 120.
4. Denis M O'Keeffe, Beaudesert Times, Catholic History of the Logan and Albert, 6 Oct 1933, p. 2.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Beaudesert Times, 10 Nov 1933, p. 1.
8. Brisbane Courier, 8 Oct 1923, p. 4.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.