Australian Dictionary of Biography entry: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lockington-william-joseph-7216

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

Teacher, preacher, administrator; born Ross, New Zealand, 26 February 1871; died Brisbane, Queensland, 10 October 1948, aged 77.

William Lockington, the eldest of eight, received his early education in New Zealand with the Sisters of Mercy at Hokitika. He had no formal secondary education, but the pupil-teacher system appealed to him from the first.

He became a teacher in 1891 and was appointed headmaster of the school at Capleston, a school with about 80 children. He joined in the activities of the local community, played the violin at entertainments and acted in the dramatic productions. By 1896 he had decided to join the Jesuits as a brother.

He joined the noviciate at Greenwich, Sydney, 2 June 1896, aged 25. During his noviciate the novice master, Aloysius Sturzo, convinced him to become a priest and so he took his vows as a scholastic in June 1898.

After a year of Latin and Greek in Sydney, he was sent to the Irish juniorate at Tullamore. He found these studies too difficult, and never matriculated. He was sent to philosophy at Jersey, and also studied French. However, he only stayed a year, and was sent to Stonyhurst, England, to complete his studies. He became a powerful force in community life, gave lectures on New Zealand, played in the orchestra, helped with the plays, and was a promoter of all games and sport.

Next, he taught at the Crescent College, Limerick, 1902-7. He conducted a choir, and helped produce musical plays. He was reported to be a good teacher, and was prefect of studies, 1905-7. He fell in love with Ireland, and later expressed that affection in his book, The Soul of Ireland.

In 1907 he went to Milltown Park for theology, and was ordained, 26 July 1910. He did tertianship at Poughkeepsie, NY, USA. In 1911 he returned to Ireland as socius to the master of novices at Tullamore, and it was during this time that he wrote his more celebrated book, Bodily Health and Spiritual Vigour. The work developed out of a course of lectures he gave to the tertians, pointed to Lockington's spirituality, - religious life implies a total dedication of oneself to the love and service of God and one's fellow human beings, and that body was included as well as soul.

He was sent back to Australia in 1913, was briefly at Xavier College, and in 1914 was made superior at St Ignatius' Church, Richmond. He was to remain a superior until 1947. He was rector of St Patrick's College in 1916, and at once made plans for its renovation and extension.

However, the next year he was appointed superior of the mission until 1923. Newman College and Corpus Christi, Werribee were negotiated at this time. It was during these years that he became a national Church figure, lecturing, preaching and giving retreats from Townsville to Perth, and in New Zealand. He was a powerful preacher, long and loud; his topics included religion, temperance, education and the plight of working people. He even had a town in Victoria named after him in 1921.

He did well to make the name of the Society of Jesus acceptable to the parish clergy in the country, and became a good friend of Dr Mannix, the archbishop. They were both fighters and thought alike on most issues. One of their joint ventures in 1917 was the 'National Foundation Stones', a series of 17 lectures, three of which were given by Lockington himself. 20,000 attended the last lecture given by Mannix at the Melbourne Town Hall.

Lockington had two important qualities, his passion for social justice and his deep sympathy for women. In 1916 he founded the Catholic Women's Social Guild. He valued the contribution women could make to the Church and society.

When his term as mission superior finished, he was appointed rector of Riverview in October 1923 for eight years. Some believe that he built the college from a small school into a 'Great Public' school. The main south front was then not much more than half finished. He completed the main front and the first bays of the east wing. Open-air dormitories bear his stamp. He also pulled down the old wooden hall and the original stone cottage.

Internally, he reformed the choir and the performance of the liturgy. He revived the tradition of drama. He was not a popular rector, but respected, trusted and even revered. He never stood on his dignity, as he did not need to. He played handball with the senior boys, and worked with axe or crowbar, pick or hammer. He had no time for mere ceremonial. He was simple and straightforward. All during this time he continued preaching, lecturing and giving retreats.

In 1932, aged 61, he went to Brisbane, to the parish of Toowong. Here he continued his usual round of retreats, lectures and sermons. One lecture lasted one hour and 25 minutes. It was in Brisbane that he developed angina and expected to live a quieter life. He recovered sufficiently to become parish priest in 1933, and in 1936 was appointed parish priest of Richmond, Melbourne. Here he remained until 1947, and at 76, returned to Toowong. However, his heart gave out and he died in the midst of a visitation of religious houses for the archbishop. He was buried in Nudgee cemetery.

He was not a man of great intellect or learning, but he made the best use of his talents. He cared little for reputation, for his own dignity, for pomp and circumstance of any kind. He could be over-bearing. He was not a good organiser. He had too much contempt for public relations. Yet for all this he was a man totally developed, body and soul, and totally dedicated to Christ, a man wholly man, Catholic and Jesuit, all for God's greater glory.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)