Monsignor Henry Fitzgerald
Title:
Monsignor
First Name:
Henry
Middle Names:
Preferred Name:
Surname:
Fitzgerald
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Mackay QLD
Country of Birth:
Australia
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Country of Ordination:
Ordination Diocese:
Brisbane
Seminary:
Irish College, Rome, Italy
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
South Brisbane QLD
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Nudgee, Brisbane QLD
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Appointments Table
Diocese | Place | Role | Start Day | Start Month | Start Year | End Day | End Month | End Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | Maryborough | Curate | Sep | 1913 | Priests of 1928 | ||||
| Brisbane | Esk | Parish Priest | Sep | 1913 | 1916 | Priests of 1928 | |||
| Brisbane | Wilston | Parish Priest | 1916 | 1920 | Priests of 1928 | ||||
| Brisbane | South Brisbane | Parish Priest | 1920 | 1927 | Priests of 1928 | ||||
| Brisbane | Wooloowin | Parish Priest | 1927 | 1954 | Priests of 1928; Gravestone | ||||
| Brisbane | Bundaberg | Curate | 1896 |
Biographical Notes
Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, pp 16-19:
Mons. Henry Fitzgerald
When he was born in Maryborough in 1869 little Henry Fitzgerald, youngest of 11 children could well have been the son of the Premier. His father was Thomas Henry Fitzgerald who had sugar interests at Geraldton [Innisfail] and had tried to form a government in late 1868 but accepted the position of Treasurer in the Lilley Government.
Henry Fitzgerald was outfitted with impeccable educational credentials for the priesthood: following home tutoring in North Queensland, he was schooled at St Joseph's, Gregory Terrace, and St Ignatius Jesuit College at Riverview. His priestly studies were undertaken at St Sulpice Seminary in Paris and the Irish College, Rome, where he was ordained in December of 1892.
After a few brief appointments he returned to Maryborough as curate for 17 years 'because he suited Maryborough and Maryborough suited him'. That he was well liked almost goes without saying for when he was transferred to become Parish Priest of Esk in 1912, he was presented with 'a purse containing 130 sovereigns'.
It was in 1916 that he went as Parish Priest to Wilston, then to South Brisbane four years later. Wooloowin was his last appointment and he is still remembered there by a few parishioners as 'a wonderful pastor and kindness itself, a much loved Parish Priest and a great favourite with the Holy Cross school children'. And 'A wonderful, benevolent person, the Mons. was a bit deaf which made confession interesting. It did not matter what you'd say, he couldn't hear it so he always gave three Hail Marys. He would always be in the left confessional and the curate would be in the right so there would always be about thirty people lined up to go to the Mons. and one or two for the curate!'
In 1929, plans were drawn up to construct a beautiful Gothic church but the depression put paid to any further progress. Some of the plans survive in the archives of the Diocese.
Ten years later Henry Fitzgerald was made a Domestic Prelate [D P] with the title Monsignor.
He owned a holiday house down at Scarborough and seems to have made it readily available to any priest in need of R & R.
'The Mons.' died on 31st March 1954 after 27 years at Holy Cross. He was buried at Nudgee Cemetery.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)