Gravestone: "P.P. of St Mary's for 22 years."

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Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 1, 1979, p 19:

Baldwin, Michael, Rt. Rev., Irish
Wonderful Priest Who Like his Scotch
b. Co. Waterford 1872; ed. Mount Melleray, St. Sulpice, Paris; served at St. Stephen's Bris., Caboolture where he enlarged church and built one at Eupindi [Eumundi], Bundaberg where he built Christian Brothers' School; Ipswich where he consolidated on the foundations laid by Father Andrew Horan; assisted at executions as gaol chaplain. Prominent Ipswich identity 1929-51. d. 28.6.1951; age 78; golden jubilee; interred Ipswich Cemetery.
(See F.P. Vol.1.No.2)
Ref.: Brisbane Cathedral Archives (per correspondence of Revs. F. Douglas, A. Brown, J. McKay (Warwick)).

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Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, pp 82-85:
Mons. Michael Baldwin

Were the Kenniffs the killers? Fr Baldwin was the only person in the world who knew the answer.

For over twelve years, Michael Baldwin was chaplain to the Benevolent Home at Dunwich and to the prisoners on St Helena Island and at Boggo Rd Gaol in Brisbane. This seems a strange appointment from 1897 until 1908 for a young priest just out of Mt Melleray in Waterford, his home county, and St Sulpice Seminary in Paris where he was ordained.

Soon after 8am on 12th January 1903 at the old Boggo Rd gaol, Paddy Kenniff stood on the trapdoor as the noose was placed around his neck. Fr Baldwin as chaplain stood nearby. Black clouds had built up over the gaol and Brisbane Catholics interpreted this in their own Irish way! He and his brother James had been convicted on circumstantial evidence. They had been involved in cattle duffing and were being pursued. The discovery of the bodies of Constable Doyle and Station Manager Dahlke led to the arrest of the Kenniffs. Due to the ensuing controversy, 'one was taken and the other left' for at the eleventh hour, James' sentence was altered to life imprisonment.

This was not the only hanging he attended. Fr Baldwin was 'particularly kind and generous to the inmates of both institutions'. To attend to them he had to go by Government steamer, usually the Otter, and these were not always pleasant 'Bay Trips'.

Between 1910 and 1918, he was Parish Priest at Caboolture which necessitated much country travelling and the building of little churches at places such as Eumundi. Archbishop Dunne had also appointed him chaplain to the navvies working on the North Coast railway line. It was no doubt because he could speak their language. Nevertheless, this mission met with little or no success. For the next ten years he was Parish Priest at Bundaberg. The former Parish Priest, Fr Mimnagh, had been Mayor of the town.

In 1929, Michael Baldwin was placed in charge of Ipswich and was made a Domestic Prelate with the title Monsignor. Very soon, the depression began to affect the economy. Mons. Baldwin was afterwards remembered for his practical charity and devotion to all those in his midst in need of necessities like food and rent money. When times improved, he was able to go ahead with parish projects such as the new St Mary's School. It should be added that even though Ipswich was not a mensal parish, its finance was based on good solid regular working class givers. There were occasions when Archbishop Duhig was so cash-strapped that he went up to Ipswich on a Monday morning and helped himself to the contents of the presbytery safe!

Mons. Baldwin had one habit which annoyed the parishioners: he would stand outside the church talking to a few people while hundreds waited inside for Mass to begin, and 15 minutes on a hot Ipswich morning was a long time!

There were many stories, some of which can be told, concerning Mons. Baldwin.

One Sunday morning during the parish mission he took the chance to sleep in as one of the missioners had the Mass. The Mons. still had to go over to help with Communion so he just threw on an alb over his pyjamas. As he was distributing Holy Communion his pyjama pants fell down. Only a few people at the rails saw how deftly he stepped out of them, then with a quick back kick sent the bundle slithering across the floor in the direction of Our Lady's altar, then carried on. Most of Ipswich heard about it during the next few days!

He took a dislike to women popping into the church or coming to Mass with only a handkerchief or a bit of a scarf on their heads instead of a hat. In a sermon he told the congregation that 'women were coming up to the altar rails wearing these little scanties'. Fortunately, he gestured towards his head as he said it so people knew he had the wrong word. Some went round afterwards to tell him, 'Oh, Monsignor, you don't say that!'

Late one night he went out on a sick call. When he arrived at the address, the house was all in darkness. After knocking, a man opened the door and said that, Yes, his wife had been ill but was now feeling better so they had gone to bed. In reporting the matter from St Mary's pulpit, he told the congregation that this man 'had gone to bed with his wife where I should have been.'

On a Sunday night, the 'Holy Hour' tended to go on and on. Men got up and went outside for a smoke and often a ... against the wall of the church. Baldwin began to notice the 'water' marks, so complained about it from the pulpit. He got into the habit of making regular inspections around the church. Consequently, a few of the men decided to play a joke on him. They came one Sunday night equipped with buckets of real water and went around pouring them out here and there. Baldwin of course discovered the marks and was enraged: 'Now the women are doing it!' he roared on the following Sunday.

It was in the Mater Hospital that Mons. Baldwin died on 28th June 1951. Requiem Mass was at St Mary's Church and he was buried in the Ipswich Cemetery 'so as to remain among his beloved people'. Nearly 100 cars took part in the funeral procession. He was remembered as a kind and devoted pastor with a great love for the sick and suffering.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)

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Prayer Calendar: Deceased Priests who have ministered the Catholic Faith throughout Toowoomba and districts, 1864–2025, Compiled by Annie Carrett, Diocesan Archivist, 2001, Updated by Gabrielle Saide, Diocesan Archivist, 2023:
Rt Rev Monsignor Michael Baldwin, died 28 June 1951

Michael Baldwin was born in Co. Waterford, Ireland on 20th October, 1872. He was educated in the Irish National School System. Seminary studies were undertaken, first at Mt Melleray, Ireland and then at St Sulpice, Paris. On their completion he was ordained at St Sulpice for the Brisbane Archdiocese on 21st December, 1895. He subsequently served at St Stephen's Cathedral, Warwick, Caboolture, Bundaberg and Ipswich. During his time at St Stephen's Cathedral he also served as Chaplain to Dunwich, and to Brisbane Gaol and St Helena Island for a time. As Gaol chaplain he was present at the execution of Patrick Kenniff. He was made Domestic Prelate with the title of Monsignor in 1929. He died in the Mater Hospital, Brisbane on Thursday 28th June, 1951, aged 78 and was buried in the Ipswich Cemetery.
(Ref. Brisbane Archives)

Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.