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:
Rev William James (Bill) McCormack, VG, died 23 Nov 1989

William James McCormack was born in Toowoomba on 5th June, 1908, to William John and Margaret Mary McCormack. He attended Holy Name Convent and St Mary's Christian Brothers' School, Toowoomba. He attended the Seminary at Springwood and Manly and was ordained in Brisbane on 3rd December, 1935, by Archbishop Duhig. His first appointment was as Curate at Charleville in 1936, followed by appointments as Collector for Banyo Seminary (1946); Pittsworth (1941); Warwick (1945); Cambooya, as PP (1951); St Patrick's Cathedral (1958); Allora (1969); Dalby (1970) and St Theresa's, as PP (1975). In 1970 he was elected by Bishop Brennan as the 2nd Vicar-General for the Diocese, due to Monsignor McKenna's failing health. He was a Monsignor, only by title, as there was no Papal appointment. He retired in 1978 and resided in Toowoomba. Fr McCormack is buried, with his parents, in Toowoomba. During his retirement he lived in the family house at 41 Philip Street, Toowoomba, and did active "supply" work.
(Ref. Clerical CV and Fr B Kane)

This is Father Hal Ranger's revision as at 13th January 2014: "This is my revision, based on personal knowledge of Father Bill, of his family of his approach to Ministry and life. His father worked at Willowburn Mental Hospital (now Baillie Henderson Hospital) and the McCormacks lived at Rockville as did my family. In 1960 and 1961 I was an assistant Priest at St Patrick's Cathedral with Bill, together with Pat Doyle and Peter McEniery. We were joined by Kevin Ryan in 1961. The "article" also draws heavily on Peter Murphy's book "Outback Priests".

After leaving school Bill McCormack worked as a fireman on the Queensland Railways.

Bill was born to William McCormack and Margaret Mary (nee Robinson) on June 5, 1908.

He had three brothers: Tom, who also became a Priest, Kevin and Ted, who joined the Railway. The dad had a small farm. Bill attended Holy Name School and St Mary's College, Toowoomba. After some years "in the world", he entered the Seminaries of Springwood and Manly and was ordained by Archbishop Duhig at St Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane on December 3, 1935.

His first assignment was as assistant priest to Bill McGovern in Charleville – to an area embracing the whole of south-west Queensland.

In the late 1930's the Queensland Bishops began planning a Queensland Provincial Seminary at Banyo, and Bill and Eddie Concannon were asked to make the appeal across the Toowoomba Diocese for financial support. People responded, generously.

Bill went to Pittsworth in 1941 as Administrator, replacing the parish priest, John Dowd, who had joined the A.I.F. Chaplains' Corps. He moved to Warwick in 1945 as assistant priest and Diocesan Chaplain of the National Catholic Rural Movement (N.C.R.M.). This movement was invited to the Diocese by Bishop Roper, its primary aims being to keep families on the land, to connect the Gospel with their lives as farmers, to study and implement modern farming methods and to promote co-operatives. By 1945 there were branches in Pittsworth, Helidon, Jandowae, Dalby, Warwick, Gowrie Junction and soon after Inglewood, Southbrook and Gladfield. Over 100 delegates from all over Australia took part in a National Convention of the N.C.R.M. at Downlands College in 1946.

Bill became the first Parish Priest of Cambooya-Greenmount in 1951. Cambooya is special because, within its boundaries, Archbishop Polding of Sydney offered the first Mass on the Downs at Etonvale Station in July 1843. A cairn on the Toowoomba-Warwick Road marks the place of the Homestead. Bill moved into a modern brick presbytery, built by volunteers and opened free of debt. It was a unique parish. There was no township and the parishioners were mostly farmers, descendants of the original Irish settlers.

In 1958 Bill was appointed Administrator of St Patrick's Cathedral Parish. His major challenge was the need to expand the schools within the Parish and to find the means to pay the growing numbers of lay teachers. (There was no Government assistance to schools in those days.) Bill invited the Wells organisation to rationalize and augment parish income through "Planned Giving". To sell this new approach was no easy task – however Bill met the challenge in his typical direct and sometimes gruff manner. People responded, keeping the schools viable until government aid came into play and offered substantial assistance.

Bill's cost-cutting capers have become part of diocesan folklore. The dining room chandelier normally burned six bulbs. Bill used three. When he was on holidays the curates replaced the missing three bulbs, only to see them removed on his return. Meals in the presbytery were very Spartan, cold corn beef and spuds being common fare. At the conclusion of the evening novena, there was a rush for the door before the lights went out. Stragglers risked broken limbs negotiating the darkened steps. In 1969 he succeeded his brother Tom as Parish Priest of Allora for a year, and then moved to Dalby for five years. In 1970 Bishop Brennan appointed him Vicar-General to help the ailing Monsignor McKenna. On the death of Bishop Brennan in 1975 Bill was elected Vicar Capitular.

Upon the arrival of Bishop Kelly, Bill was transferred to St Theresa's and remained there until retirement in 1978. On December 10th 1985 he celebrated his Golden jubilee of ordination in St Patrick's Cathedral in the company of 60 priests. One of his public statements during these celebrations was: "I've never had an identity crisis".

Bill had a ruddy complexion, stocky build and was rarely seen in public without his clerical collar, black hat and dust coat. His was a loud and booming voice, no doubt a throw-back to his days as a fireman. One always knew he was around if not by his shouts, at least by his whistling. Young priests experienced his kindness, encouragement and even financial assistance. He could be stern with assistants, expecting of them the same high standards he placed on himself. A curate was once scolded for "playing golf while souls were being lost". But beneath that tough exterior and direct manner was a heart that offered genuine warm support to priests and people who were doing it hard. He showed particular care and loyalty to people suffering from depression and any form of mental illness – something he may have inherited from his father who had worked at Willowburn for years.

He enjoyed a satisfying and fruitful retirement, exercising his love of fishing, going often to his farm at Spring Bluff, and honouring his life-long friendships. He was generous with his ministry, helping out in parishes when priests were ill or on holidays, and was chaplain to the Knights of the Southern Cross. Bill's was a rugged spirituality built around the Mass, the Daily Office and the Rosary. His unwavering commitment to the Church in which he grew up led to him having lots of difficulties in embracing the new insights and directions of Vatican II. That was a major challenge for Bill McCormack.

With his speed-boat Bill enjoyed many hours on the water. Transporting it in a trailer, he had to load and unload it a boat ramps. One day while dragging it from the water, he strained his heart. He was taken to St Vincent's Hospital where, after a week's illness, he died. It was November 11, 1989. He is buried in the family plot at Drayton Cemetery.

Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.