Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, pp 124-125:
James O'Donnell

The first priest in the photo to die was James O'Donnell. He and his brother Edward from Cashel in Co. Tipperary were ordained together at St John's College, Waterford in June of 1926. They were ordained for Brisbane, probably because their uncle was here - Mons. Lee of Rosalie.

James and Edward arrived here in 1927, James going then as assistant to Fr O'Flynn at Gympie. It seems that he may have had TB for his health declined rapidly and he was in the Mater Hospital for some time. He died there on 11th November 1929, aged 29 years.

His brother celebrated the Requiem Mass at Rosalie before the funeral left for Nudgee. The inscription records that he died 'in the 30th year of his life and the 3rd of his Priesthood. Beati mortui qui in Domino moriuntur.'

Fr Edward O'Donnell enjoyed better health in the Toowoomba Diocese and lived until October 1957, perhaps better remembered as Dean O'Donnell.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, p 189:
Rev Fr James O'Donnell

Fr James O'Donnell died at the young age of 30 years.

James was the tenth child of farmer Timothy O'Donnell and his wife Marie (nee Lee) of Nodatown, Cashel in co Tipperary Ireland. A brother was Fr Edmond O'Donnell who ministered as a prominent priest in the Toowoomba diocese. They were nephews of Monsignor William Lee the first parish priest of Rosalie.

James and Edmond chose to become priests and entered Mount St Joseph's College Roscrea in Tipperary to begin their studies. Later they transferred to St John's College in Waterford where they were ordained for the Archdiocese of Brisbane on 20 June 1926.

They arrived in Sydney on 20 June 1927 to be met by their uncle Monsignor Lee. They first spent some time at Sacred Heart presbytery Rosalie with their uncle before taking up appointments. Fr Edmond went to Warwick while Fr James was appointed as an assistant priest to Fr Michael O'Flynn in Gympie.

Fr James who suffered from tuberculosis became seriously ill in late August 1929. He was admitted to the Mater Misericordiae Private Hospital in Brisbane where he died on Monday 11 November, 1929.(1)

The following day solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated in the Sacred Heart Church at Rosalie. James' brother Fr Edmond was the celebrant with Fr James Lynch who was his friend at St John's Waterford as deacon and Fr Joe Troy as sub-deacon. Father Tim O'Connor was master of ceremonies with Fathers Frank and John O'Connell and Francis and Michael Masterton as chanters. Archbishop Duhig presided. There were forty seven of his fellow priests in attendance.

In an eloquent panegyric his Grace the Archbishop said:

Father O'Donnell was unremitting in his attendance on the sick and dying, and it was in performing his sacred duties towards them that he contracted the illness which brought about his own death. The loss to the archdiocese is great, but our thoughts this morning turn first of all to the noble mother in far-off Ireland, who is stricken with grief at the news that her priestly son, who left her so short a time ago, has been claimed by death.(2)

The funeral procession, over half a mile in length, proceeded for the burial in Nudgee Catholic cemetery. Fr James who was in the photograph of a hundred priests at the 1928 Clergy retreat, held at Nudgee College.(3) He was the first of those priests to die.

Footnotes
1. Qld death registration, 1929/B9478.
2. Catholic Press, Queensland Notes, Sydney, 21 Nov 1929, p. 31.
3. Denis Martin, Priests of 1928, 2003, p. 124.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.