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 Maurice Lane, died 13 Mar 1929

Maurice Lane was born near Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland, in 1878. After achieving distinction, first at the local seminary and then at Maynooth College, he was ordained priest for the Diocese of Kerry in 1901. His first appointment in Australia was in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. After a couple of years as Assistant Priest of Flemington he found the Victorian climate too hard on his health and applied for transfer to Rockhampton Diocese, under Bishop Higgins. As priest there, he served in the following places: Assistant Priest, Hughenden; Administrator, Mount Morgan; Parish Priest, Longreach. In 1911-1912, he returned on a long visit to Ireland, but since he was anxious to return to Australia, Bishop Duhig obtained for him a position in the Brisbane Archdiocese. After a brief period as Assistant at St Stephen's Cathedral (1913), he was appointed Assistant Priest, Ipswich (1914-1920). He replaced Monsignor James Byrne as Administrator of St Stephen's Cathedral in 1920 and from there he was appointed Parish Priest of Annerley. In 1922, he received the Cross "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" from the Pope in recognition of his work. When ill health prevented his continuing at Annerley, he transferred parishes with Fr J Troy of Roma, in the hope that the dry western climate would prove beneficial. It did not, and he died there in 1929.He is buried in Nudgee Cemetery.
(Ref. Linane L11, Brisbane Archives and Pugh's)

Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, pp 186-188:
Rev Father Maurice Lane

Maurice Lane was born in the parish of Daugh, Listowel in County Kerry Ireland on 7 February 1875.(1) He was the fifth of the nine children, three boys and six girls, of Daniel and Mary, nee Sheehy, Lane of Islandanny. He was baptised the next day in St Brigid's parish church by Fr M Herlihy. His god-parents were Jeremiah and Mary Conner.(2)

Maurice was educated at the local seminary. Later he was sent to Maynooth College in Dublin where, after a brilliant course, he was ordained a priest. With the permission of the bishop of his native diocese he came to the Archdiocese of Melbourne.(3)

While ordained for his home diocese of Kerry Fr Lane moved to Melbourne with the approval of his bishop. Arriving in 1900 he was appointed a curate in the parish of Flemington. After two years, finding the southern climate too severe on his health, he applied to Bishop Higgins for a place in the diocese of Rockhampton. The archbishop of Melbourne readily agreed.(4)

St Brendan's school-room, Flemington was crowded Wednesday night, by parishioners, when the Rev Maurice Lane was entertained and presented with several addresses, a purse of 110 sovereigns,(5) and other gifts from the members of the parish.

Fr Carroll (the parish priest) said he was delighted to be present this evening. The presentation they were about to make to Fr Lane was only a faint echo of the love and esteem entertained for him by the parishioners. Fr Lane, but a short time in the parish, yet he had endeared himself to the hearts of the people, young and old, by the conscientious discharge of his sacred duties as a priest.

When he said that Fr Lane was conscientious that included a great deal. He was glad that Fr Lane was about to take a rest and hoped that his health would be restored by the change.

Bishop Higgins appointed Fr Lane to assist Fr Edward O'Keeffe at Hughenden from 1902 to 1904. From 1904 to 1907 he was administrator of the parish of Mount Morgan.(6) He served as parish priest of Longreach from 1907 to 1911.(7)

Fr Lane was frequently referred to as a very cultured priest.(8) He gave many interesting lectures throughout Australia. Listowel, on the banks of the River Feale in the northern half of County Kerry not far from where Fr Lane was raised, has been described as Ireland's Literary Capital producing an abundance of world class writers.(9)

Before a well-attended meeting of the Catholic Young Men's Society, held in the Cardinal's Hall this week, Fr Lane delivered a lecture on the formation of societies to foster a good understanding of all public and religious questions, the relation of religion to questions of state, and it's bearing upon the responsibilities of citizenship.(10)

He spent 1911 and 1912 visiting Europe, spending most time with his family and friends in Ireland. Once again he found the climate there injurious to his health. So he chose to return to Queensland, arriving in Sydney aboard the Orama on 5 December 1912.

He knew Bishop Duhig, who had succeeded Bishop Higgins in Rockhampton, so he informed the new coadjutor to Archbishop Dunne that he would like to serve in the Archdiocese. Dr Duhig obtained an appointment for him in the Archdiocese.

Fr Lane spent 1913 as an assistant at St Stephen's Cathedral. In 1914 he was appointed as an assistant to the ailing Dean Andrew Horan in Ipswich. He took on the responsibility for the construction of the church at Booval which was opened in 1915 at a cost of £2,500.(11) He also supervised the construction of the Ipswich Christian Brothers' College which opened on 14 May 1916 at the cost of £5,000.(12)

One of his lectures during those years was reported in the Ipswich Press. It was to raise funds for the new church in Helidon.

An illustrated lecture given in Helidon by the Rev Maurice Lane, on Friday evening, was well attended and greatly appreciated (writes a correspondent).(13)

When in 1918 Archbishop Duhig appointed Monsignor Byrne as administrator of Ipswich Fr Lane was chosen to fill the important role of administrator of St Stephen's Cathedral.(14) Whilst administrator he delivered many interesting lectures, including in June 1922 a most entertaining, informative and instructive lecture on Irish Scenery.(15)

In 1923, after seven years at the Cathedral, Fr Lane was appointed parish priest of Mary Immaculate parish on Ipswich Road Annerley.(16) Shortly after Fr Lane was honoured with the papal decoration 'Order Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice'.

In the presence of a congregation that filled every portion of St Stephen's Cathedral last evening, Archbishop Duhig conferred on Rev Father Maurice Lane, late Administrator of the Cathedral parish, the insignia of the order known as Pro Ecclesia et Pontifico, together with the diploma signed by the Papal Secretary of State, authorising the recipient to wear this distinction.

The Archbishop expressed his very deep appreciation of Father Lane's learning and priestly work, and thanked him for all that he had done in connection with the building of the extensions to the Cathedral, which, his Grace said, was a further reason for the conferring of the papal honour.(17)

Fr Maurice died on 13 May 1929.

Rev Maurice Lane, parish priest of Ipswich-Road, died at Roma at 10 minutes to 1 this morning. He had been in indifferent health, and recently made a temporary change with Fr J Troy of Roma, in the hope that the sojourn in the dry Western climate would approve beneficial. The great heat, however, of the last few weeks, seems to have been too severe a strain on his falling strength. On Saturday he became so ill that it was thought advisable to remove him to a private hospital, but not withstanding the efforts made to revive him, he gradually sank and died at the hour stated. When it became apparent that the end was coming, the late priest's brother, Dr Morgan Lane, was telegraphed for, and was actually on his way to Roma, by special train last night, when news of his brother's death reached him at Toowoomba".(18)

Father Lane's body was brought to Brisbane by train. The funeral liturgy took place in St Stephen's Cathedral at 10am on Friday 15 March 1929. The lengthy report in the Brisbane Courier noted that forty four priests were present. The chief mourners were his brother Dr Morgan Lane, his wife and their young child, Daniel.

Fr Maurice was laid to rest in what became the Lane family plot at Nudgee Cemetery.

Archbishop Duhig, who had known and admired Fr Maurice from his time as bishop of Rockhampton in 1906 preached the panegyric at the funeral.

He came to Central Queensland, where wide space and great-hearted people of the bush appealed to his manly, generous nature in such a way that he conceived for them a deep admiration and undying friendship. He laboured for years in Hughenden and Longreach, and became acquainted with every phase of life of the people – many of them pioneers who had blazed the track. Cultured as he was, he felt much more at home among the people of an outback township, from whom he gathered immense folklore, than he would have among the residents of the city.

All sections of the people in their little Western townships looked forward to his periodical visits, for they brightened the whole community. Every swagman was a beloved fellow human being, and a literary mine of romance and anecdote. He had pre-eminently the quality of human sympathy.

Fr Lane had a large history of literary work during his years in Australia. He wrote for many publications under the pseudonym Alastair.(19) The Archbishop spoke too of his literary talents.

Ireland's literature, and particularly its poetry, became a favourite study with him, a study which was facilitated by the atmosphere of his native surroundings and the companionship of gifted students and professors in the colleges. That love of literature and poetry grew until it might be said to have become a passion with him. It was not confined to works of his countrymen, but extending far beyond his native shores widened with the years. He gave way to no Scotsman in his admiration for Robert Burns and his knowledge of his works. Nor was he second to any native-born Australian in his enthusiasm over her poet sons. Only this week the hand that is now still in death wrote for the Diocesan organ a splendid tribute to the late George Essex Evans.(20)

Fr Maurice was buried in Nudgee Catholic cemetery.

As Archbishop Duhig observed, Fr Lane had a great love for the poetry of Scotland's national poet Robert Burns. He was regarded as a leading expert on the Burns' life and poetry. A year after his death the Melbourne Advocate published Fr Lane's article written for the anniversary of the death of Burns who was born on 25 January 1759. As that journal states:

this is one of the last of his splendid literary articles he wrote with such felicity and out of such love of great writers.(21)

Footnotes
1. Daugh is a village 9 kilometres south east of Listowel, a service centre for surrounding farming district.
2. Baptismal registers, parish of Daugh – the family name is spelt 'Leane' in all entries.
3. Brisbane Telegraph, 13 Mar 1929, p. 3.
4. Ibid.
5. RBA, inflation calculator, $15,000 value in today's values.
6. Federal Electoral Roll, 1903.
7. Pugh's Almanac.
8. Queenslander, 21 Mar 1929, p. 22.
9. Guide to Listowel 2016.
10. Catholic Press, Sydney, 1 Aug 1907, p. 40.ral Roll, 1903.
11. 100 Years of Faithful Witness – Sacred Heart Church Booval 2018.
12. Brisbane Archdiocesan Archives.
13. Queensland Times, Ipswich, 2 Sep 1914, p. 4.
14. Tribune, Melbourne, 16 Aug 1917, p. 8.
15. Catholic Press, Sydney, 6 Jul 1922, p. 21.
16. Telegraph, Brisbane, 14 Mar, 1929, p. 3.
17. Daily Mail, Brisbane, 14 May 1923, p. 6.
18. Telegraph, Brisbane, op. cit. p. 3.
19. Telegraph, Brisbane, 14 Mar 1929, p. 2.
20. Brisbane Courier, 16 Mar 1929, p. 19.
21. Advocate, Melbourne, 30 Jan 1930, p. 5.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.