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Rev Michael Curran

Title:

Rev

First Name:

Michael

Middle Names:

P.

Preferred Name:

Surname:

Curran

Order:

Date of Birth:

Jun - 1862

Place of Birth:

Hospital, Co Limerick

Country of Birth:

Ireland

Date of Ordination:

24-Jun-1886

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

Ireland

Ordination Diocese:

Melbourne

Seminary:

All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland

Date of Death:

17-Dec-1934

Place of Death:

Country of Death:

USA

Date of Burial:

1934

Place of Burial:

Holy Cross, Brooklyn NY

Country of Burial:

USA

Find A Grave URL:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/172209929



Biographical Notes

General Interest, Advocate, Melbourne, 18 April 1935, p 17, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article171906088:

Rev. Michael Curran, who was formerly a priest of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, died recently at Brooklyn, U.S.A.

---

Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, pp 116-117:

Curran, Michael P., Irish
Founder of the Australian Visitor (Brisbane)

A personal note intrudes when writing of this priest. The family was poor in the twenties, but one luxury that Mother insisted on bringing into the home each week was the 'Sunday Visitor', a 4 page screed, 3 pages of which were devoted to solid doctrinal instruction, and one page to children's games and interests. Before even the days of crystal receiving sets, it was 'good stuff to read — perhaps more appealing to a twelve-year-old than Sheehan's Apologetics! Thanks to Michael P. Curran, initiator of the S.V. in Brisbane in 1923! Oh! for the days when a Catholic Weekly could be posted to each home for less than a dollar per annum! Michael P. was born in the town of Hospital, County Limerick in June 1862. His parents were Michael and Mary (nee Maloney), according to All Hallows records; and the Melbourne 'Advocate' records the death of the mother in December 1891, while Michael was stationed at Daylesford. Education was acquired at Ryan's private school in Hospital and at All Hallows. He was ordained for Melbourne on the traditional 24th June (1886) and arrived in Melbourne on the 'Potosi' on September 10 following. First appointment was to Williamstown. From 1887-1890 he served on loan in the Sale Diocese, first at Warragul and then at Bairnsdale. Daylesford baptismal records point to his being there from July 1890 to January 1892. After that his name disappears from Church Directories for 25 years. Where did he go? The writer ventures to guess that he was hard at work on the American Mission. And probably it was there that he developed a newspaper outlook and apostolate, resolving to copy the doctrinal style of the American Sunday Visitor and introduce it to Australia. Returning to the diocese of his adoption we find him stationed at St. Kilda East in 1917, at Daylesford in 1918, at South Melbourne in 1919, and at West Melbourne in the two years following. After a two-year stay on the Cathedral staff the 'rambler' headed for sunny Queensland, to be welcomed by Archbishop Duhig and given the new parish of Herston. This was a small suburban tract at the rear of the Brisbane General Hospital (now the Royal Brisbane) where Mass was first said in a Duhig purchase, Clyde House. The famous Columban, William McGoldrick, was the first Pastor at the formation of the parish in 1920 (last baptism before joining the Columbans 22 April 1923). Curran's stay was destined to be short and sweet, some six months. Fr. Michael Hogan CSSR, Oxford Park, continues the story: "Erase the question mark in your title for Curran: Founder of the Sunday Visitor? He did. My sister, Sr. Mary Hogan, P.B.V.M., and I are two of the very few who remember Father Curran. We knew that he came from Melbourne but don't know when. My brother, the late Fr. John, was Father's altar boy and messenger. In the parish which included Ballymore there was a Catholic family, Cramptons, who had a printery at Gotha St., Fortitude Valley. John and I often took in the early manuscripts for the Sunday Visitor. As a reward the P.P. would give us afternoon tea. The Cramptons printed one of the two Catholic papers, 'The Age'. The other was 'The Advocate'. Being good parishioners of Curran the Cramptons inserted the first copies of the Sunday Visitor in the Age. Archbishop Duhig was not amused. It was based on the American Sunday Visitor and received favourable comments from many Queenslanders. Just when Curran issued the first copy I haven't been able to track down. This connection comes about because Archbishop James got control of the 'Age' and turned it into the 'Catholic Leader' ... We were told that Fr. Curran left Brisbane for the USA, but that's all I can tell you ... But be assured that the S.V. was the brainchild of Curran. My sister and I have agreed on these few recollections. Herston in 1920-1930 period was a very quiet little parish .."

Apparently after a short service at Herston, Curran lived at St. Stephen's, but in the 1926-7 period rambled off to new (or old) pastures green. The late Arthur Calwell MHR in a conversation with the writer maintained that Father Michael went to Denver City and there repose came to the restless frame in the 1930s; Melbourne Cathedral authorities being called on to pay the funeral expenses. Perhaps some reader may comment on the Hogan and Calwell memories.
(Footprints, Vol. 3, No. 5)
Information: As quoted.