Daylesford, Ballarat, Maryborough, Melbourne, Vic; Haymarket, NSW; Brisbane, Ipswich, Rockhampton, South Brisbane, Roma, Qld

Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, pp 87-88:
Fr Michael McKernan

This is another sad story of an Irish priest who offered his services in the diocese of Brisbane but who did not continue in that ministry.

Michael McKernan was born on 4 October 1850 to Michael and Anne (nee McGuigan) McKernan of Ballyinaskreen via Draperstown in co Derry Ireland. He was educated at Mr Donnelly's school in Draperstown from where he entered the All Hallows Missionary College in 1874, and was ordained there on 24 June 1879 for the diocese of Brisbane.(1)

He arrived in Brisbane late in 1879. He served first as assistant priest at St Mary's parish in South Brisbane. He was registered to officiate at marriages in the colony of Queensland in 1881.(2) He was stationed at Roma in 1881 and 1882; at Nanango in 1883; at Maryborough in 1884. He moved to Sydney in 1884 where he ministered for a year as a supply priest at Pyrmont and St Francis in Surry Hills.

Fr McKernan ministered in Victoria and Queensland for some fourteen years as a catholic priest. He moved to the Archdiocese of Melbourne in 1885, serving at St Francis church and from 13 February 1886 at North Fitzroy. On 29 October 1887 he was at Kyneton as a curate to Dean Geoghegan. On 28 July 1888 he was transferred to Daylesford.

Late in 1888 he returned to Queensland. This time he ministered in the diocese of Rockhampton under Bishop Cani, where he served in Clermont, Emerald and Ravenswood. He left that diocese in November 1891, when Bishop Cani gave him the following reference:

The Rev Father McKernan has officiated in the diocese of Rockhampton for some years. He is now leaving at his own request. He has discharged his duties with zeal and ability. He is free from censure. We confidently recommend him to any bishop to whom he may apply.
+ J Cani, Townsville, November 7, 1891.(3)

Five days later McKernan married Ellen Madden Foley in St John's Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane before the Rev Canon Stone-Wigg.(4)

Soon after the marriage they moved south. He chose to earn an income as a speaker lecturing to Protestants on the errors of the Church of Rome. He approached Mr Thomas Lutton, DGM of the Orange Institution in Sydney offering to lecture Protestants. The Protestant Standard published one of his lectures, over two issues, in April and May, 1892.(5)

Two months later, McKernan issued a recantation of his actions:

I, Michael McKernan, of Sydney, in the colony of New South Wales, do hereby solemnly and sincerely declare as follows: That the statement contained in the leaflets attached hereto and marked 1, 2, and 3, is in my own handwriting, and is a true expression of my conscientious convictions. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the provisions of an Act made and passed in the ninth year of the reign of her present Majesty, instituted an Act for the more effectual abolition of oaths and affirmations taken and made in various departments of the Government of New South Wales, and to substitute declarations in lieu thereof, and for the suppressions of voluntary and extra political oaths and affidavits'. Michael McKernan
Subscribed and declared at Sydney this 14th day of June, 1892, before me. James Carroll JP.
The Statement
In connection with the unfortunate position which I occupied before the public of Sydney during the last few weeks, I beg to submit the following statement: I am now about to make the only reparation in my power. I have had no communication whatever with Roman Catholics since I commenced to lecture. Therefore, they made no overtures to me to give up lecturing. Drink brought all my troubles upon me. I came to Sydney about four months ago hoping to get a situation and earn an honest living. But having no letters of recommendation which would be of any use, I failed in the attempt. From Sydney I went to Newcastle, but my luck was no better there. In a statement which was published in the Protestant Standard I made it appear that I left the Church of Rome through conscientious motives. I must say that there was not one word of truth in it. I believe all the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church as firmly as any man in the world. As to the imprisonment of nuns in convents and immorality, I do not believe for a moment that such exists. Protestants, no doubt, will think hard things about me for abandoning the platform. I cannot help it. I have had no peace of mind, and could have none so long as I continued lecturing. I received from Protestants a large amount of sympathy and support, and I thank them cordially for the same. They are very suspicious about the sincerity of those who go over from Rome, and they have good reason to be. It is my candid belief that no Roman Catholic ever gave up his church except from a desire to better his position in a temporal point of view. I thought to make as much as could take me out of Australia; but though the prospects were fairly good I decline to act the hypocrite any longer. I never was a Protestant so I have not given up that church. I attended Protestant service once on invitation, but I neither saw nor heard anything to convert me. I am a sincerely penitent Roman Catholic. I am sorry to the heart for what I have done, and I will use my best endeavour to make amends. – (signed) Michael McKernan. Witness to signature, D Spillane, Sydney, June 14 (6)

This statement was received by Very Rev P Le Rennet SM of St Patrick's at the Rocks on 14 June, Daniel Spillane the witness being a solicitor and a parishioner of St Patricks. The recantation was published by the Sydney Daily Telegraph on 25 June.

Mr Lutton, of the Orange Lodge, wrote to various publications explaining how Fr McKernan had approached him, making certain declarations, and seeking his recommendation for his lectures to Protestants. He finished his statement with the following observation:

'I am quite willing to allow this to stand side by side with the recantation, and permit the public to draw their own conclusions when they learn that this priest, who was greatly in debt, could all of a sudden pay a large number of debts, make a recantation, and then vanish.' (7)

The Prayer Calendar of Australian deceased priests records the death of Fr Michael McKernan on 2 November 1935. Michael McKernan died in Ballarat at the age of 91.(8) He was a resident at Nazareth House in Ballarat from 1925 to at least 1927 and by 1931 in the Saint John of God hospital where he died. A Michael McKernan was working as a gardener in Melbourne in 1924.(9) Maybe it was when he went to Nazareth House that it was discovered that this Michael McKernan was the priest who left the priesthood in 1892! Michael was buried in a priest's grave at Ballarat.

Footnotes
1. Kevin Condon cm, The Missionary College of All Hallows 1842-1891, 1986, student 1368, p. 341.
2. Pugh's Almanac, 1981.
3. The Bathurst Free Press, 27 Jun 1892, p. 2.
4. Queensland Marriage registrations, 1891/15301.
5. The Protestant Standard, Sydney, 30 Apr 1892; pages 5 & 7 May 1892, page 6
6. The Telegraph, Brisbane, 28 Jun 1892, p. 3.
7. National Advocate, Bathurst, 27 Jun 1892, p. 3.
8. Victorian Death Registration 1935/17489.
9. Victorian Federal Electoral rolls 1924 to 1935.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.