Funeral brochure, 8 June 2006:
Morgan Bourke Howe was born on 8 May 1919 at Ipswich, one of the three children of William Morgan and Ellen Frances [Bourke]. Family members are his brother James Patrick (deceased) and his sister Mrs. Margret Kathleen McLean [Morningside]. His primary education was at Dagun State School and Secondary schooling was at St. Patrick's College, Gympie. He trained as a teacher at the Brisbane Teachers Training College, and then taught at Gracemere and Boondilla. His seminary formation took place at Springwood and Manly, New South Wales. Morgan was ordained to the Priesthood on 25 July 1945 in St. Stephen's Cathedral. His first appointment; was to the newly formed Pius XII Seminary, Banyo where he taught until the end of 1952. His continued as a part-time lecturer at Banyo until the late 1970's. In May 1953 he was appointed Parish Priest of Boonah until the end of 1973. In January 1974 he moved to Holy Family, Indooroopilly as Pastor, where he served until his retirement in July 1998. At first he continued to live at Indooroopilly as Pastor Emeritus, but later moved to Canossa, Oxley [2000] and recently at St. Paul de Chartres, Boronia Heights. He died there on the Eve of Pentecost, 3 June 2006. May he experience forever the joy and eternal peace of the Risen Lord.

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Social justice champion dies, Catholic Leader, Brisbane, 11 June 2006, p 5:

Fr Morgan Howe, who championed the social justice gospel in Brisbane archdiocese, died on June 3 at St Paul de Chartres Villa, Boronia Heights.

He was 87. Fr Howe’s funeral Mass was celebrated in St Stephen’s Cathedral on Thursday at 10am and he was buried in the priest’s section of Nudgee Cemetery.

A vigil Mass was celebrated on Wednesday night at Holy Family Church, Indooroopilly.

Lutwyche parish priest Fr Dick Pascoe said Fr Howe was a father figure to him.

Fr Pascoe, who knew him for more than 40 years, said Fr Howe was a man who was compassionate about peace, justice and indigenous Australians.

“He was like a second father to me,” Fr Pascoe said.

He said Fr Howe tried to make the world a better place.

Fr Dave O’Connor, who was a student of Fr Howe’s at Banyo Seminary, said he was a man who was ahead of his time.

“It would be fair to say he was the champion of the social justice gospel in the archdiocese for many years,” Fr O’Connor said.

“He had a capacity for remembering details, events and names, which is remarkable for a man who struggled with blindness for many years.”

Fr O’Connor said Fr Howe was held in high regard by those who he was pastor to.

“The loss of his sight seemed to deny him and the archdiocese of the ongoing challenge that he put forward in terms of the gospel,” he said.

Fr Howe was ordained in Brisbane on July 15, 1945.

He served as parish priest at Indooroopilly from 1974-98 when he retired.

He was named pastor emeritus of Holy Family Parish in recognition of his dedication to the parish.

Before Indooroopilly, Fr Howe served as parish priest at Boonah from 1953-74.

He also fulfilled roles at Banyo Seminary in Brisbane from 1946-65.

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Tributes flow for priest, Catholic Leader, Brisbane, 18 June 2006, p 3:

Fr Morgan Howe was farewelled with glowing tributes from family, friends and fellow priests at his funeral in St Stephen’s Cathedral, Brisbane, on June 8.

Fr Howe died on June 3 at St Paul de Chartres Villa, Boronia Heights, aged 87.

More than 40 priests and several bishops remembered their friend at the funeral.

In a tribute to her uncle, Claire Sawyer said Fr Howe was a man of integrity, courage, great intellect and compassion.

“He had a magnificent repertoire of stories and enjoyed telling them,” she said.

“Morgan was never afraid to take a stand and was ahead of his time in many ways.

“He directed much of his energy and many talents towards making his vision of social justice a reality. He was a hero.”

In a tribute from the Aboriginal Catholic Murri Ministry, read by Lutwyche parish priest Fr Dick Pascoe, it said Fr Howe would not be forgotten for his work for Aboriginal people.

In his homily, Archbishop Bathersby said it was entirely appropriate that in the week of Pentecost the Church of Brisbane was celebrating the funeral of one of the truly charismatically gifted priests of the archdiocese.

“Fr Morgan Howe will live long in our memories, not only because of his striking good looks and presence that faded only slightly with advancing years, nor because of his skill in teaching that remained to the very end, nor because of his pastoral skills that never left him, but most of all because of his passion for people on the margins of life and his lifelong support and advocacy of the Australian attitude of a ‘fair go’ for all, especially for the indigenous peoples of Australia,” Archbishop Bathersby said.

He said Fr Howe was a great priest of the archdiocese, despite his appointments being restricted largely to the seminary, Boonah and Indooroopilly.

“His impact was larger than the narrow pathways he travelled,” he said.

“As a seminary professor he influenced generations of seminarians both those who proceeded on to priesthood and those who did not.

“As a popular lecturer he made a profound impact on lay people as well.”

Fr Howe was buried in the priests’ section of Nudgee Cemetery after the funeral.

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A priest ahead of his time, Catholic Leader, Brisbane, 9 July 2006, p 21:

Fr Morgan Howe was a man who was ahead of his time and never afraid to take a stand.

He possessed integrity, courage and great intellect. He was far-sighted, compassionate and yet an intensely private individual.

Fr Howe had a magnificent repertoire of stories and enjoyed telling them.

He was a pioneer of Catholic adult education and social justice programs in Brisbane archdiocese and will be remembered in Aboriginal Catholic Ministry.

Fr Howe allowed his parish hall to be used for social justice gatherings, talks and discussions on government acts which governed Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

He not only put his parish resources at the disposal of justice but he produced written works to show his commitment.

The publication of his book Aborigines and Christians in 1977 was a testament to this.

From an early age Fr Howe said that just because something had always been, didn’t mean it had to stay that way.

He directed much of his energy and his many talents towards making his vision of social justice a reality.

Fr Howe was born the eldest of William and Ellen Howe’s three children in Ipswich on May 8, 1919.

The couple also had another son James and a daughter Margaret.

Morgan’s father was a school teacher. The family moved to Dagun in the Mary Valley in 1924 and Morgan was educated at Dagun State School before going on to St Patrick’s College, Gympie for his secondary education.

He trained as a teacher at the Brisbane Teachers’ Training College, serving at country schools before beginning his studies for the priesthood.

His seminary formation was at Springwood and Manly, NSW.

Fr Howe was ordained in Brisbane on July 15, 1945.

He went on to fulfil roles at Banyo Seminary from 1946-65.

As parish priest, he served at Boonah from 1953-74 and Indooroopilly from 1974 until his retirement in 1998.

He continued as pastor emeritus at Indooroopilly until 2000.

During his time there, Fr Howe guided Holy Family Parish, Indooroopilly to become one of the main centres in Brisbane for action on justice and peace.

Following this leading example, the archdiocese set up the archdiocesan Commission for Justice and Peace in 1985.

Fr Howe was a member of the commission until 1992.

He also encouraged his parish social justice group to continue and expand.

It now embraces other parishes and other denominations and operates as the Ecumenical Social Justice Group (Western Suburbs) Inc.

Everything Fr Howe did, he did thoroughly.

He read extensively and researched meticulously.

He was a natural teacher, gifted with the ability to share ideas, stimulate discussion and ignite passion.

Being taught by him changed people.

Although the outcomes of the Second Vatican Council initially produced reverberations throughout the Church, Fr Howe adapted easily to them.

He was enthusiastic for the ensuing reforms, particularly in matters of increased participation of the laity and social justice.

He always had a project on the go and the projects were always big.

Fr Howe built a radiogram and later a television from scratch.

The television was neither compact nor a thing of beauty. However, it worked brilliantly.

He had equal success during his astronomy phase.

He built a telescope that he ordered as a kit, but always seeking improvement, he ground the telescope lens himself.

There was a brief venture into beekeeping but no one can recall seeing any honey.

The loss of sight for such an independent man must have been a great hardship.

Twenty years ago, he started using brighter reading lamps, then magnifiers, and eventually was not able to read at all.

Yet he drew on his inner courage and strong faith and dealt with it with great dignity.

He relied on his beloved ABC Radio National, talkback radio and interactions with friends, colleagues and loved ones to keep him up to date with religious issues, politics and social debate.

Fr Howe’s last few months were spent at St Paul de Chartres Retirement Villa in Boronia Heights, where he died on June 3.

At Fr Howe’s June 8 funeral Mass in St Stephen’s Cathedral, Brisbane Archbishop John Bathersby paid eloquent tribute to him.

“It is entirely appropriate that in this week of Pentecost we are celebrating the funeral of one of the truly charismatically gifted priests of this archdiocese.

“Fr Morgan Howe will live long in our memories not only because of his striking good looks and presence that faded only slightly with advancing years, nor because of his skill in teaching that remained to the very end, nor because of his pastoral skills that never left him, but most of all because of his passion for people on the margins of life and his lifelong support and advocacy of the Australian attitude of a ‘fair go’ for all, especially for the indigenous peoples of Australia.”

Fr Morgan is survived by his sister Margaret, brother in-law Jack McLean and nine nephews and nieces.

His brother James and sister-in-law Violet predeceased him.