Ordinations, Morning Chronicle, Sydney, 11 February 1846, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31747329:

St. Mary's Cathedral.--His Grace the Archbishop conferred the Sacrament of Holy Orders, on Saturday, the 31st of January, the feast of St. Peter, Nolasco, when the following candidates received respectively the Orders-- Of Subdeacon, Daniel Maurus O'Connell--Of Deacon, John Ignatius McLenan, James Paul Roche, Henry Thomas Fines, and Thomas Joseph Murray. On last Saturday, the 7th, the feast of St. Romuald, Abbot, the last named Deacon, the Rev. Thomas Joseph Murray, was ordained Priest.

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The Darlinghurst Gaol, The People's Advocate and New South Wales Vindicator, Sydney, 1 September 1849, p 5, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251536510:
The Roman Catholic clergyman is Mr. M'Clennan; he is there almost every day.

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Sydney Morning Herald, 5 November 1857, p 8, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28633405:
Australasian Holy Catholic Guild of St. Mary and St. Joseph.—The brethren of the above confraternity are requested to attend at the Cathedral, this evening, at half-past six o'clock, in Guild uniform, to attend the dirge for their late Chaplain, the Rev. Father John Ignatius McLennan, O.S.B.
A Solemn Dirge will be Chanted in the Cathedral this evening, at seven o'clock, for the repose of the soul of Father John Ignatius McLennan, O.S.B. Solemn Requiem Mass will be sung at seven o'clock, on Friday morning. The Funeral Procession will leave the Cathedral immediately after Mass.

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Death, Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 7 November 1857, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115560108:

The Rev. John Ignatius McClennan, O.S.B., died at Lyndhurst College, at half past three o'clock, on the 4th instant, aged 36 years, of a painful and protracted disease of the heart, which he bore with patience and edification. He came to the Archdiocese with several other candidates for the Holy Ministry, in the year 1843. He was possessed of a fair share of talents which he cultivated with assiduous study, for some years past. He took an active part in promoting the interest of education, and in the improvement of those entrusted with the praiseworthy task of conducting the Catholic schools of the city. The prayers of the faithful are requested for the eternal repose of his soul. --Requiescat in pace.
The solemn Office for the Dead was chanted in the Cathedral on Thursday evening; and the Requiem High Mass celebrated on Friday morning at the Cathedral. The funeral procession, which was numerously attended, then moved a little after eight a.m., on its way to the Monastic Cemetery at Subiaco, where the last sacred rites of religion were performed over his mortal remains.

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St. Charles's Church, Ryde, Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 7 November 1857, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115560110:

This neat little Church will be solemnly blessed to-morrow. To the Rev. Dean Coffey, we believe, the credit is due for its first projection, now ten or twelve years since, and Father Brennan afterwards materially aided by his efforts to raise money. At that time Kissing Point was included in the parochial district of Parramatta; but since beginning the building of the Church Ryde has had its own pastor. For want of funds the work languished for many years, and was altogether stopped shortly after the rise in prices consequent on the gold discovery. At that period, the late lamented Father McClennan was the incumbent, and he made arrangements to fit up an old wooden building at Ermington, the residence of Mr. J. K. Heydon, at the extreme verge of the parish, as a temporary church, and there the Catholics of Ryde, for three years or more, have had to resort for the ministrations of religion. About two years ago, on Father McClennan's removal to Sydney, the Rev. Mr. Rocher, of the French Marist South Sea Mission at Villa Maria, undertook the duties of the district in which his mission-house happens to be located; and, as Villa Maria and Ermington are at opposite ends of this large parish, the Catholic residents have since then had the advantage of attending Mass at either place. The new Church, where in future all the parishioners will assemble, is centrally situated on the Parramatta Road, leading from Bedlam Ferry to the village of Ryde, and may be prominently seen crowning the hill from the deck of the steamer passing in the river.

When first projected this Church was intended to be dedicated to Almighty God under the invocation of St. Joseph; but, as that venerated prelate, the late Dr. Davis, laid the foundation stone, His Grace the Archbishop has decided to place the Parish Church of Ryde under the patronage of St. Charles Borromeo, who was also the patron saint of Dr. Davis. The ceremony will take place at eleven o'clock to-morrow, at which it was the Archbishop's intention to have himself been present; but his grief at the death of Father Ignatius will not suffer him efficiently to perform the function in a place so lately the scene of his beloved son's labours. The Ven. Archdeacon McEncroe will however supply his place, and preach the sermon.

After the ceremony there will be a collection towards defraying the debt yet due on the building — some £700 — and to provide for the appropriate decoration of the interior of the Church, which at present is destitute of all permanent fittings. We commend the case of this parish to the charity of the Catholics of Sydney and Parramatta. In addition to the pleasure of witnessing the interesting ceremony of the dedication, they will by their presence at St. Charles's to-morrow ensure themselves a most wholesome recreation in the air of this charming suburb. The steamer up the river leaves the Phoenix Wharf at nine in the morning.

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Death of the Very Rev. Dean Coffey, O.S.F., Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 21 November 1857, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115561452:
Another "mighty man that" was as a Saviour to "the people of Israel" has fallen ; another flock has lost its good shepherd ; another zealous minister of God's graces has gone to render an account of his stewardship ; another priest has been snatched from us by the unrelenting hand of Death. Within a few short weeks three of our priests have been taken away by this indiscriminating visitor. May the holy will of God be done! but truly it seems to us hard to have the number of our Pastors so quickly lessened.

The Very Rev. Nicholas Coffey, whose death it is now our painful duty to record, was born in the city of Dublin, and in the Parish of St. Andrew, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, 1801. After having gone through his humanity studies in his native city, he was inspired by Almighty God with the desire to dedicate himself to His service in the religious state. In order that the wish of his heart might be realized to its fullest extent he made a journey to the Eternal City, and entered the Franciscan College of St. Isidore, in the month of December, 1828. He there labored hard in preparation for the sacred ministry, and was ordained Priest in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, by the Most Rev. C. D. Joseph Della Porta, Patriarch of Constantinople, on the 26th of February, 1831.

He returned to Ireland in 1834, and took up his residence in the convent of St. Francis, Merchant's Quay, Dublin. Here he zealously performed all the duties of the ministry for about seven years, to the great satisfaction of the Primate, the late lamented Archbishop Murray. By the permission of his superiors, he offered himself to our Archbishop in the year 1840, and was at once accepted. He arrived in Sydney in the year 1842.

Since his coming amongst us no priest has been better known, and none more sincerely loved. He has been on three or four missions, but Parramatta, the place of his death, was the witness of the most of his good deeds, and always occupied the first place in his loving heart.

For some months past this good priest had but very poor health. At the time of the publication of the Jubilee at Windsor, he went there to preach, and was caught in a heavy shower of rain whilst returning. This produced a cold, which, owing to his weak state of health, scorns to have settled upon his lungs. About six weeks ago he complained of great difficulty in breathing. One night he was so seriously ill that he called in the Rev. Father Walsh to give him Extreme Unction. He, however, got a little better, and was able after a time to perform his usual duties. Since that attack he has been to Sydney three or four times. The last time was when he came to assist at the Requiem Mass and funeral of the late Rev. Father Ignatius McLennan. This circumstance is somewhat singular. They had been fellow laborers, and had lived in the same house with one another at Bathurst, Windsor, and at Parramatta, and they were very much attached to each other, "quomodo in vita sua dilexerunt se, ita et in morte non sunt separati."

Yesterday week (Friday 13th instant) he offered the adorable sacrifice of the Mass in the morning as usual, and was pretty well throughout the day. At ten o'clock in the evening, as he was about to retire to rest, he felt himself suddenly become very weak, and at once sent for Father Walsh and for his medical attendant. Father Walsh had just time enough to administer the last sacraments to him before he expired. The news of his death reached Sydney early on Saturday morning. The Right Rev. the Vicar General at once set off to Parramatta. His Grace the Archbishop was at Subiaco at the time the sad event happened ; he went over to Parramatta as soon as the melancholy intelligence was communicated to him.

The news of Father Coffey's death spread a feeling of deep regret throughout the entire community, both Protestant and Catholic; for his kind, unassuming, and benevolent dispositions gained for him the respect of all who knew this excellent priest, "who delighted to do good by stealth, and blushed to find it fame."

Arrangements were made by the Archbishop for the Requiem Mass to be sung at Parramatta, on Sunday, at eleven o'clock. All the clergy of Sydney, with the exception of those who were to say the last masses, started for Parramatta by the train at half past nine. The brethren of the Holy Catholic Guild of St. Mary and St. Joseph accompanied them, and also about two hundred more of the laity. Owing to some want of management, however, no arrangement was made for taking by special train the numbers of persons from Sydney, who wished to pay the last respect to the deceased, the consequence of which was that hundreds arrived in Parramatta too late to attend the funeral.

Solemn Requiem Mass was sung in the school, which is now temporarily used as a church, until the beautiful church, in course of erection, shall be completed. The Rev. Austin Sheehy, O.S.B., was celebrant, the Rev. Fathers Kenyon and Maher deacon and sub-deacon. His Grace the Archbishop, the Right Rev. Abbot Gregory, the Venerable Archdeacon, the Very Rev. Dean O'Connell, the Rev. the Procurator-General, and others of the clergy, were present. The choir sang the simple Gregorian Mass, with a harmonized "De profundis" at the Offertory, and a beautiful motett at the Elevation. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the Office for the Dead was recited. His Grace the Archbishop then gave the absolution, after which the funeral procession moved in tho following order : — The Children of the Parramatta Orphan School. The Brethren of the Holy Guild. The Clergy. His Grace the Archbishop's State Carriage. Pall Bearers. Hearse. Pall Bearers. Mourning Coaches containing Chief Mourners. Students of the King's School. Citizens on Foot. Coaches and Carriages.

The crowd which thronged the streets on each side of the procession was immense. Great numbers had gone up from Sydney during the day. As they proceeded to the burial ground the clergy sang the Gradual psalms and the beautiful anthem "In Paradisum deducant te angeli, &e." "May the angels lead thee to Paradise ; may the martyrs receive thee at thy coming, and conduct thee to the Holy City Jerusalam. May the choir of angels receive thee ; and with Lazarus, one time poor, mayest thou have eternal rest." The lamentations of the surrounding multitudes as they broke in between the verses of the psalms; the heart-bursting sobs, the prayers for mercy, the occasional shriek of anguish utterred by some poor soul who had long striven to be silent in her woe, but which at length found utterance in spite of her efforts, produced a melancholy melody which would cause the most indifferent and hard-hearted listener to drop a compassionating tear. "Alas" — we fancied we heard many a poor soul exclaiming — "alas! we have lost our Father ; the light of our eyes is no longer with us ; our best treasure has been stolen from us. Where now shall we go for relief in our miseries? Who will speak the word of comfort to us in the midst of our sorrows ? With what care did he not watch over us! With what solicitude did he not look after us in all our wanderings! With what gentleness did he not try to lead us back when we had gone astray! What a holiness in all his manners." What an exactness in the discharge of his duties! What an amount of wisdom, of goodness, of affability, which gained for him the respect of all who knew him! O Church of Parramatta, how desolate art thou!" And then, after these outbursts of sorrow, we could see an expression of joy suddenly playing about the eyes and lips, which, being expressed in words, would say, "No! our Church is not desolate ; we are not forsaken. We have one more saint praying for us. He will now be able to help us more strongly. He is still invisibly amongst us. Let us strive to be imitators of his virtues, that we may come to be sharers in his reward."

As on the occasion of Father McLennan's funeral the shops in Parramatta were generally closed, and the bells of the Protestant churches tolled, so did the people of the town manifest a deep mourning on the death of Father Coffey, when all the bells were again tolled in respect to his memory. Mr. Dolman had caused an excellent likeness of Dean Coffey to be taken a few weeks ago which will appear in the Catholic Almanac for 1858.

The corpse was interred in the mortuary chapel of the Parramatta cemetery. The following inscription was on the coffin: — "Hic sepeliuntur exuviae mortales admodum Reverendi Nicolai Josephi Coffey, O.S.F. Obiit die 13 Novembris, 1857. Ejus animae propitietur Deus."

At the conclusion of the funeral service, the Venerable Archdeacon McEncroe delivered a short address. Owing to the sighing murmur that ran among the vast assembled throng, and the deep emotion of the speaker, which caused him to express himself indistinctly and disconnectedly, we were not able to hear all of what he said. But as well as we could guess, he spoke as follows : — "How solemn and sad a duty, my dear friends, have we to perform to day ! How painful a thing is it not to a sensitive heart to have to perform this last act of love towards one whom it has cherished with more than brotherly love! It would ill become me— I should but wound your feelings, were I to attempt to speak of the virtues of your late Pastor, whose remains we have now laid in the cold and silent tomb. He stands in need of no panegyrist. He himself might have addressed you, if humility had not forbidden him, in the words of the Apostle Paul to the ancients of the church of Ephesus :— "You know from the first day I came, in what manner I have been with you for all the time ; serving the Lord with humility and with tears. . . . . How I have kept back nothing that was profitable to you, but have preached it to you. . . . . And now behold I go up to Jerusalem." Yea, my dear friends, we may reasonably hope that my late dear confrere, and your kind Pastor is now enjoying the happy vision of that new Jerusalem where all tears are wiped away, and where there is no more sorrow, nor weeping, nor death. But, my dear friends, we know well that nothing defiled, even by the smallest stain, can find admittance into that all pure mansion. It is, then, our duty to pray the Father of all mercies that his reward may not be retarded. Let our prayers ascend to the throne of grace — "Hear, O Lord, the prayers of this portion of Thy Church ; hearken to the sighs of us, forsaken ones, who raise our voices to implore mercy for our beloved Pastor. Reward him now for all his good works, and give him speedy possession of a happy eternity. Grant him, O Lord, a never ending rest, and let perpetual light shine upon him."