Rev Patrick Dalton SJ
Title:
Rev
First Name:
Patrick
Middle Names:
Preferred Name:
Surname:
Dalton
Order:
SJ
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Orange NSW
Country of Birth:
Australia
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Country of Ordination:
Ordination Diocese:
Seminary:
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Melbourne VIC
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Boroondara, Kew VIC
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Biographical Notes
Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Dalton, Patrick
Teacher and writer; born Orange, NSW, 11 March 1881; died Melbourne, 16 January 1951, aged 69.
Patrick Dalton came from a well-known, wealthy, Catholic family from 'Duntryleague', Orange, and was educated at St Ignatius' College, Riverview. He passed the senior public examination with first-class honours in Latin, Greek, English and French. Upon leaving school he studied medicine for four years at Sydney University before deciding to join the Society, 12 February 1904.
His noviceship was at Tullamore, philosophy studies at Stonyhurst, 1906-9, and theology at Milltown Park, 1914-17. Regency was at Riverview, 1910-14. He did not finish his theology in Ireland because he returned to Australia to see his father who was in poor health. He finished his theology and tertianship in India, 1918-19.
Upon his return to Australia he first taught at St Aloysius' College, 1920-26, and was minister, prefect of discipline, assistant prefect of studies, consultor, editor of the Aloysian, and gave lectures in philosophy at St John's College, University of Sydney.
From 1926-32 he taught at Riverview, and was spiritual father to the boys, in charge of senior debating and the senior Sodality, continued with the lectures at St John's, and was one time editor of Our Alma Mater. In 1931 he examined the quinquennials.
His next status was to Sevenhill, 1932-51, where he spent much time writing and arranging the early archives of the province. His work on the school, St Aloysius' College, is the only archival source available. He translated many of the early German documents, such as the letters of Fr. Kranewitter and the diary of Br. Poelzl.
He also gave very valuable help to the late Archpriest Carroll of Hay in his monumental task of translating Fr. de la Taille's Mysterium Fidei. He became well known and appreciated by the people of Clare, Sevenhill and Mintaro for his kindness, his quaint sense of humour and for his extraordinary knowledge of history, art and science.
Dalton was a scholar and linguist of considerable attainments, but he was a poor disciplinarian, which diminished his value as a teacher of ordinary boys. He seems to have had a drink problem that induced superiors to isolate him in Sevenhill.
Towards the end of his life he was transferred to Loyola College, Watsonia. Whatever his trouble, the notes he made for his exhortations as spiritual father at Sevenhill show him to have been a man of deep and solid piety; indeed, his resignation, without grumbling or repining to the will of his superiors, would sufficiently demonstrate the fact.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)