Edward Sydes | ANZ Clergy


About Help Contact login Rev Edward Sydes SJ Title: Rev First Name: Edward Middle Names: John Preferred Name: Surname: Sydes Order: SJ Date of Birth: 24-Nov-1863 Place of Birth: At sea Country of Birth: Overseas Date of Ordination: 1909 Place of Ordination: Country of Ordination: Ordination Diocese: Seminary: Date of Death: 15-Nov-1918 Place of Death: London Country of Death: England Date of Burial: Place of Burial: Country of Burial: Find A Grave URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/249850901 FindaGrave - Person Photo FindaGrave - Grave Photo Biographical Notes Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017: Sydes, Edward Pastor, military chaplain; born at sea, 24 November 1863; died London, 15 November 1918, aged 54. Edward Sydes was born off the coast of Australia in the British ship Norman Morrison on which his parents were passengers from Ireland to Queensland. His father was a carpenter and he was the seventh in a family of eight. He attended the Catholic primary schools at Ipswich and Brisbane and also a State School for twelve months. His secondary education was at the Ipswich Grammar School, Queensland, where he had been granted a scholarship. He passed the junior public examination of the University of Sydney in six subjects at the age of 14, and passed the senior public examination of the University of Sydney in nine subjects in 1881. He also won a Queensland Government University Exhibition that was worth £100 per year for three years, which entitled him to attend any university in the Empire. He decided to attend the University of Melbourne and took degrees of BA, MA and LLB. The MA degree with second-class honours was taken in 1890 in the school of history, political economy and jurisprudence. In 1886 he won a scholarship for Ormond College, and later won the Oratory Prize. In 1891 he was called to the Bar in Melbourne and a month later to the Queensland Bar where he practised until 17 August 1903. He taught honours history and mathematics at Xavier College while reading for the Bar. As a youth he was remembered as energetic, social and popular, and devoted to the Catholic faith, reading The Imitation of Christ daily. He was a successful barrister for 12 years, winning public acclaim for his work. He was invited to enter politics, but failed selection for the Queensland parliament twice. He was one of the leaders of the Anti-Federation Party in Queensland in 1900 and addressed many meetings in Brisbane and other towns in the south. His faith led him to involvement with the Catholic Young Men's Society, the Holy Cross Guild and the St Vincent de Paul Conferences. However, surprise was noted among those who knew him when at the age of 40 he decided to enter the Society of Jesus, 7 November 1903, being impressed with the way the Society worked for the missions and the poor. He also desired to work among Protestants. He was sent to Tullamore, Ireland, for his noviciate under Michael Browne. Further studies were made at Louvain and Milltown Park and he was ordained in 1909. Upon his return to Australia he was assigned to the parish of St Mary's, North Sydney, 1909-14. At the end of 1914 he went to Ranchi, India, for tertianship, and returned to Australia in 1915, first to the parish of St Ignatius', Richmond, and then again to St Mary's. He was a successful director of men's sodalities and associations, and was a good, humane priest. Soon after, however, at the age of 53, he was appointed a chaplain of the Australian Imperial Forces in 1917. He served with the Second Division Artillery during 1918, and earned a good name for himself because of his devoted service to the wounded and needy. Unfortunately, he was gassed by some of his own men during the engagements at Le Cateau. From this time he developed chronic bronchitis. He also developed a thrombosis in his leg, and was invalided to England in November 1918 and conveyed to Wandsworth Military Hospital. Pneumonia set in and he died soon after. He and the Irish Jesuit Michael Bergin, who served with the AIF but never visited Australia, are the only two Australian Army chaplains who died as a result of casualties in action. The life of Edward Sakes as a Jesuit was short and different from most Australian Jesuits, but his uniqueness witnesses to the variety of Jesuit ministries, and the mystery of God's calling. He was buried in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission grave in a Catholic cemetery in Hammersmith, London. He had qualified for the British War Medal, 1914-18 and the Interallied Victory Medal that were claimed by his sister, Mary Sydes, 9 January 1923. (Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Title:

Rev

First Name:

Edward

Middle Names:

John

Preferred Name:

Surname:

Sydes

Order:

Date of Birth:

24-Nov-1863

Place of Birth:

At sea

Country of Birth:

Overseas

Date of Ordination:

1909

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

Ordination Diocese:

Seminary:

Date of Death:

15-Nov-1918

Place of Death:

London

Country of Death:

England

Date of Burial:

Place of Burial:

Country of Burial:

Find A Grave URL:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/249850901

FindaGrave - Person Photo

FindaGrave - Grave Photo

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

Pastor, military chaplain; born at sea, 24 November 1863; died London, 15 November 1918, aged 54.

Edward Sydes was born off the coast of Australia in the British ship Norman Morrison on which his parents were passengers from Ireland to Queensland. His father was a carpenter and he was the seventh in a family of eight. He attended the Catholic primary schools at Ipswich and Brisbane and also a State School for twelve months.

His secondary education was at the Ipswich Grammar School, Queensland, where he had been granted a scholarship. He passed the junior public examination of the University of Sydney in six subjects at the age of 14, and passed the senior public examination of the University of Sydney in nine subjects in 1881. He also won a Queensland Government University Exhibition that was worth £100 per year for three years, which entitled him to attend any university in the Empire.

He decided to attend the University of Melbourne and took degrees of BA, MA and LLB. The MA degree with second-class honours was taken in 1890 in the school of history, political economy and jurisprudence. In 1886 he won a scholarship for Ormond College, and later won the Oratory Prize. In 1891 he was called to the Bar in Melbourne and a month later to the Queensland Bar where he practised until 17 August 1903. He taught honours history and mathematics at Xavier College while reading for the Bar.

As a youth he was remembered as energetic, social and popular, and devoted to the Catholic faith, reading The Imitation of Christ daily. He was a successful barrister for 12 years, winning public acclaim for his work. He was invited to enter politics, but failed selection for the Queensland parliament twice. He was one of the leaders of the Anti-Federation Party in Queensland in 1900 and addressed many meetings in Brisbane and other towns in the south.

His faith led him to involvement with the Catholic Young Men's Society, the Holy Cross Guild and the St Vincent de Paul Conferences. However, surprise was noted among those who knew him when at the age of 40 he decided to enter the Society of Jesus, 7 November 1903, being impressed with the way the Society worked for the missions and the poor. He also desired to work among Protestants.

He was sent to Tullamore, Ireland, for his noviciate under Michael Browne. Further studies were made at Louvain and Milltown Park and he was ordained in 1909. Upon his return to Australia he was assigned to the parish of St Mary's, North Sydney, 1909-14. At the end of 1914 he went to Ranchi, India, for tertianship, and returned to Australia in 1915, first to the parish of St Ignatius', Richmond, and then again to St Mary's. He was a successful director of men's sodalities and associations, and was a good, humane priest.

Soon after, however, at the age of 53, he was appointed a chaplain of the Australian Imperial Forces in 1917. He served with the Second Division Artillery during 1918, and earned a good name for himself because of his devoted service to the wounded and needy. Unfortunately, he was gassed by some of his own men during the engagements at Le Cateau. From this time he developed chronic bronchitis. He also developed a thrombosis in his leg, and was invalided to England in November 1918 and conveyed to Wandsworth Military Hospital. Pneumonia set in and he died soon after. He and the Irish Jesuit Michael Bergin, who served with the AIF but never visited Australia, are the only two Australian Army chaplains who died as a result of casualties in action.

The life of Edward Sakes as a Jesuit was short and different from most Australian Jesuits, but his uniqueness witnesses to the variety of Jesuit ministries, and the mystery of God's calling. He was buried in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission grave in a Catholic cemetery in Hammersmith, London. He had qualified for the British War Medal, 1914-18 and the Interallied Victory Medal that were claimed by his sister, Mary Sydes, 9 January 1923.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Rev Edward Sydes SJ

Biographical Notes