Rev Michael Masterson
Title:
Rev
First Name:
Michael
Middle Names:
Denis
Preferred Name:
Surname:
Masterson
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Brisbane QLD
Country of Birth:
Australia
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Country of Ordination:
Australia
Ordination Diocese:
Brisbane
Seminary:
St Patrick's College, Manly, Australia
Appointments Table
Diocese | Place | Role | Start Day | Start Month | Start Year | End Day | End Month | End Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | Gatton | Curate | 1899 | 1913 | Priests of 1928 | ||||
| Brisbane | Ipswich | 1913 | Priests of 1928 | ||||||
| Brisbane | Nanango | 1920 | Priests of 1928 | ||||||
| Brisbane | Nanango | Curate | 1921 | 1926 | Priests of 1928 | ||||
| Brisbane | Nudgee | Chaplain, Nudgee College | Priests of 1928 | ||||||
| Brisbane | South Brisbane | Parish Priest | 1932 | Priests of 1928 |
Biographical Notes
Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, pp 193-195:
Michael Masterson
Unlike his younger brother Frank who went overseas to do his studies, Mick Masterson was the 20th candidate to go through St Patrick's at Manly.
Michael Denis Masterson was a Brisbanite, born up in Berry St, Spring Hill, in 1873. At the time of his birth, his father was working hard on the building of the new St Stephen's Cathedral to bring the nave to completion a soon a possible.
Young Mick went to Gregory Terrace in 1884, then to Manly where he was ordained in 1898 with fellow Brisbanite, James Bergin. Mick was the third Queenslander to be ordained from the new Seminary. His academic record was described as 'brilliant' and he was invited to join the staff, but either he or Archbishop Dunne declined.
For 13 years, Mick was Fr Walsh's curate at Gatton. Just two months after Mick's ordination, the unsolved triple murder of the Murphys took place at Mt Sylvia near Gatton. Fr Walsh was under terrible strain, so Fr Masterson was no doubt rushed in to help there.
The year 1913 was spent under Dean Horan at Ipswich. Then a tragedy of another sort occurred which influenced his career. His classmate, Fr James Bergin, Parish Priest of Nanango died quite suddenly at only 38 years of age.
Fr Mick was sent to replace him. In 1917 he built the new brick Our Lady Help of Christians Church as a memorial to Fr Bergin. Due to ill health he retired as Parish Priest at the end of 1920 but returned a little later to assist his brother who was in charge from 1921 to 1926.
After a few years as Chaplain at Nudgee College, Mick was made Parish Priest of St Mary's, South Brisbane. Here he completed the church by replacing the temporary sanctuary in 1929.
Perhaps it was due to ill health again but Mick retired in cl932 and went to live with his brother at Red Hill.
He died there on 20th August 1954. The Requiem Mass was at St Brigid's Church, after which the funeral left for Nudgee Cemetery.
In his tribute, Archbishop Duhig said he himself had been at school at Gregory Terrace in Fr Masterson's time there. 'As a priest, Fr Masterson had been a model of piety. His charity was unlimited and humility was one of his greatest virtues. His service of God and of the people was wholehearted, cheerful and full of self sacrifice.'
(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)