Kevin Grogan | ANZ Clergy


About Help Contact login Rev Kevin Grogan SJ Title: Rev First Name: Kevin Middle Names: Preferred Name: Surname: Grogan Order: SJ Date of Birth: 25-Apr-1913 Place of Birth: Chungamar VIC Country of Birth: Australia Date of Ordination: Place of Ordination: Country of Ordination: Ordination Diocese: Seminary: Date of Death: 30-Nov-1980 Place of Death: Hazaribag Country of Death: India Date of Burial: Place of Burial: Country of Burial: Find A Grave URL: FindaGrave - Person Photo FindaGrave - Grave Photo Biographical Notes Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017: Grogan, Kevin Missionary; born Chungamar, Victoria, 25 April 1913; died Hazaribag, India, 30 November 1980, aged 67. Kevin Grogan grew up in Melbourne, and attended St Patrick's College, East Melbourne. He entered the Jesuits at Greenwich, 21 February 1931, studied philosophy at Watsonia, taught at Riverview, 1938-40, and did his theology at Pymble. He then had a year as chaplain to the army in Timor. Tertianship was at Sevenhill with John Fahy, followed by four years as parish priest of Sevenhill. In January 1951, with the founding group, he left for the Hazaribag region of India and began learning Hindi. His first parish assignment was in Rengarih in 1951, followed by Mahaudanr in 1952. He was parish priest of Hazaribag in 1953, where he found communicating in the Hindi language difficult. He had happier days at St Xavier's, Hazaribag, from 1955. He taught English and mathematics, promoted debating and public speaking, set up and taught handicraft, and turned his hand to landscape gardening. He became an active member of the local Lions Club. In the aftermath of the 1966-67 famine relief, he organised sasti roti (cheap bread) centres around the town mainly for the rural poor who had gravitated to the town for help. The sponsoring of ‘eye camps’ where volunteer doctors did cataract operations for the poor, one of them in St Xavier’s classrooms, was one of his more memorable achievements. In the community he was a genial companion and the soul of hospitality with guests. By the late seventies, he was often tired and moody. He sought a change, and finally went to St Xavier's, Bokaro Steel City, from January 1979. He settled into school routines but he was not a well man. He had heart trouble, and a final heart attack caused his death. Grogan was a down-to-earth, self-effacing man, a genial companion, having an unusual flair for the crosswords, and a steady flow of brilliant limericks. His dry wit, spontaneous hospitality, practical jokes and leg pulling were important aspects of his personality. He was a generous man, especially towards the poor. He had friends everywhere, and he was affectionately remembered in the Society, by the hundreds of boys he taught in Hazaribag, and among the townsfolk of Hazaribag among whom for over a quarter of century he was a familiar and loved figure. (Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Title:

Rev

First Name:

Kevin

Middle Names:

Preferred Name:

Surname:

Grogan

Order:

Date of Birth:

25-Apr-1913

Place of Birth:

Chungamar VIC

Country of Birth:

Australia

Date of Ordination:

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

Ordination Diocese:

Seminary:

Date of Death:

30-Nov-1980

Place of Death:

Hazaribag

Country of Death:

India

Date of Burial:

Place of Burial:

Country of Burial:

Find A Grave URL:

FindaGrave - Person Photo

FindaGrave - Grave Photo

Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Grogan, Kevin

Missionary; born Chungamar, Victoria, 25 April 1913; died Hazaribag, India, 30 November 1980, aged 67.

Kevin Grogan grew up in Melbourne, and attended St Patrick's College, East Melbourne. He entered the Jesuits at Greenwich, 21 February 1931, studied philosophy at Watsonia, taught at Riverview, 1938-40, and did his theology at Pymble. He then had a year as chaplain to the army in Timor. Tertianship was at Sevenhill with John Fahy, followed by four years as parish priest of Sevenhill.

In January 1951, with the founding group, he left for the Hazaribag region of India and began learning Hindi. His first parish assignment was in Rengarih in 1951, followed by Mahaudanr in 1952. He was parish priest of Hazaribag in 1953, where he found communicating in the Hindi language difficult.

He had happier days at St Xavier's, Hazaribag, from 1955. He taught English and mathematics, promoted debating and public speaking, set up and taught handicraft, and turned his hand to landscape gardening. He became an active member of the local Lions Club. In the aftermath of the 1966-67 famine relief, he organised sasti roti (cheap bread) centres around the town mainly for the rural poor who had gravitated to the town for help. The sponsoring of ‘eye camps’ where volunteer doctors did cataract operations for the poor, one of them in St Xavier’s classrooms, was one of his more memorable achievements. In the community he was a genial companion and the soul of hospitality with guests.

By the late seventies, he was often tired and moody. He sought a change, and finally went to St Xavier's, Bokaro Steel City, from January 1979. He settled into school routines but he was not a well man. He had heart trouble, and a final heart attack caused his death.

Grogan was a down-to-earth, self-effacing man, a genial companion, having an unusual flair for the crosswords, and a steady flow of brilliant limericks. His dry wit, spontaneous hospitality, practical jokes and leg pulling were important aspects of his personality. He was a generous man, especially towards the poor. He had friends everywhere, and he was affectionately remembered in the Society, by the hundreds of boys he taught in Hazaribag, and among the townsfolk of Hazaribag among whom for over a quarter of century he was a familiar and loved figure.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Rev Kevin Grogan SJ

Biographical Notes