John Williams | ANZ Clergy


About Help Contact login Rev John Williams SJ Title: Rev First Name: John Middle Names: Francis Preferred Name: Surname: Williams Order: SJ Date of Birth: 21-Oct-1906 Place of Birth: Birr, Co Offaly Country of Birth: Ireland Date of Ordination: 1940 Place of Ordination: Country of Ordination: Ordination Diocese: Seminary: Date of Death: 21-May-1981 Place of Death: Perth WA Country of Death: Australia Date of Burial: 1981 Place of Burial: Karrakatta, Perth WA Country of Burial: Australia Find A Grave URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/213724188 FindaGrave - Person Photo FindaGrave - Grave Photo Biographical Notes Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017: Williams, John Teacher; born Birr, Ireland, 21 October 1906; died Perth, 21 May 1981, aged 74. John Williams was partly Irish and partly Welsh. His Irish mother and Welsh father died leaving five small children, three boys and two girls. Williams had a sad childhood. He was looked after by a relative of his, Father Patrick McCurtin, and was a boarder at Mungret. Williams entered the Society at Tullamore, 1 September 1928, did his university studies in Ireland, and priestly studies at Louvain, arriving in Australia in 1942, two years after his ordination. He taught at Riverview and Campion Hall, Point Piper, Sydney. In 1949 he went to Perth as prefect of studies at St Louis School where he remained for the rest of his life. For 15 years he was prefect of studies, and completed his tasks with the greatest exactitude and precision. He was a severe disciplinarian, keeping his distance from his students, which he regretted in his latter days. However, he was a good educator, teaching religion, history and economics. The public examination results of his students were most respectable. He gave himself completely to his tasks. He stayed on in Perth even when St Louis ceased to be a Jesuit school, helping with confessions of the junior students. He symbolised the long-standing Jesuit tradition of education that education was worth the discipline and effort of achievement. He was a fastidious man, elegant in dress, and correct in style and presentation of his person. He was complex and cultivated, at heart a very simple priest, at home with academics as well as ordinary people. He had an irreverent sense of humour that balanced a deep loyalty to the pope and to the Church. He was a man of tradition. In later life he was courteous and gentle. At the same time he was a prayerful man, with special concern for the Holy Souls, and devotion to Our Lady. (Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Title:

Rev

First Name:

John

Middle Names:

Francis

Preferred Name:

Surname:

Williams

Order:

Date of Birth:

21-Oct-1906

Place of Birth:

Birr, Co Offaly

Country of Birth:

Ireland

Date of Ordination:

1940

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

Ordination Diocese:

Seminary:

Date of Death:

21-May-1981

Place of Death:

Perth WA

Country of Death:

Australia

Date of Burial:

1981

Place of Burial:

Karrakatta, Perth WA

Country of Burial:

Australia

Find A Grave URL:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/213724188

FindaGrave - Person Photo

FindaGrave - Grave Photo

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

Teacher; born Birr, Ireland, 21 October 1906; died Perth, 21 May 1981, aged 74.

John Williams was partly Irish and partly Welsh. His Irish mother and Welsh father died leaving five small children, three boys and two girls. Williams had a sad childhood. He was looked after by a relative of his, Father Patrick McCurtin, and was a boarder at Mungret.

Williams entered the Society at Tullamore, 1 September 1928, did his university studies in Ireland, and priestly studies at Louvain, arriving in Australia in 1942, two years after his ordination. He taught at Riverview and Campion Hall, Point Piper, Sydney. In 1949 he went to Perth as prefect of studies at St Louis School where he remained for the rest of his life.

For 15 years he was prefect of studies, and completed his tasks with the greatest exactitude and precision. He was a severe disciplinarian, keeping his distance from his students, which he regretted in his latter days. However, he was a good educator, teaching religion, history and economics. The public examination results of his students were most respectable. He gave himself completely to his tasks. He stayed on in Perth even when St Louis ceased to be a Jesuit school, helping with confessions of the junior students. He symbolised the long-standing Jesuit tradition of education that education was worth the discipline and effort of achievement.

He was a fastidious man, elegant in dress, and correct in style and presentation of his person. He was complex and cultivated, at heart a very simple priest, at home with academics as well as ordinary people. He had an irreverent sense of humour that balanced a deep loyalty to the pope and to the Church. He was a man of tradition. In later life he was courteous and gentle. At the same time he was a prayerful man, with special concern for the Holy Souls, and devotion to Our Lady.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Rev John Williams SJ

Biographical Notes