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 Michael P Renehan, died Nov 1879

Michael Renehan was born at Lower Creggan, Co.Armagh, Ireland, on 24th June 1834 (or 12th July 1837) to Edward and Anne (McGovern). Seminary studies were undertaken at All Hallows College, Dublin (1855-1861). He was no brilliant student, still, on completing his studies he was ordained priest on 7th October 1860 - originally for Chicago. He accompanied Bishop Quinn to Brisbane when that prelate took possession of his Diocese, in July 1861, and began with him a visitation of the territory, which he reckoned would take twelve months. He visited Warwick in the July and September of 1862, preaching to large congregations and raising collections for the distressed people of Ireland. For some years he worked in Brisbane and on the Darling Downs. Pugh's list him as being at St Patrick's Church, Toowoomba in 1867. In that year he fell out with Quinn and was suspended. With four other priests (McGahan, Walsh, Devitt and Hogan) he left the Diocese in 1867 and went first to Sydney, then Albany, N.Y. where he had a brother/cousin (Fr James Renehan who died as a Pastor of St Francis Xavier's Marcellis on 11th March 1925). He was Pastor for the Parish of Marathon in the Diocese of Albany, Cortland County, New York State (1867-1877). From there he went to St Francis Xavier's Church, Marcellus, N.Y. (1878-1880). Six months before his death, he and four other priests sought leave to return to Queensland. This request had been granted, but for Michael Renehan, death intervened. He died in November 1879 of typhoid pneumonia, after two days illness, without ever seeing Queensland again.
(Ref. Brisbane Archives, Linane R20, Pugh's and "The Missionary College of All Hallows 1842-1891" no. 430)

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 69-71:
Fr Michael Patrick Renehan

Michael Patrick Renehan was born in Cullyhanna in co Louth Ireland on 12 July 1837. He studied for the priesthood and was ordained at All Hallows Missionary College, Dublin. He served in the Brisbane diocese from 1861 to 1867 and in the Diocese of Albany, USA, 1867 till his death on 17 November 1879.

Fr Renehan arrived in Port Philip Bay on 12 March 1861; one of five priests who, with six Sisters of Mercy, accompanied James Quinn, first Bishop to the new Diocese of Brisbane. They left Ireland on 3 December 1860 and Liverpool, England, on 8 December aboard the American built clipper, the Donald McKay, arriving in Melbourne in March 1861. While the bishop spent a short time in Melbourne and Sydney, three of the party - Fathers Renehan, Tissot and Hodeburg - came on ahead reaching Brisbane, aboard the 600 tons coastal steamer Telegraph, on the 19 April.(1)

Fr Renehan's name appears regularly in the newspapers of the colony.(2)

The Maryborough Correspondent reported to various newspapers:

On Sunday last (July 28, 1861) services were held in the Catholic school-house, conducted by the Right Rev Dr Quinn, assisted by the two clergymen who accompanied him from Brisbane. After the morning service an address and a handsome money testimonial were presented to the Bishop, to which he made a suitable reply. We understand that the Rev Messrs Tissot and Renehan are to remain in this district, the Catholic body having undertaken to provide for their temporal necessities.(3)

In November, 1861, Fr Renehan and Dr Cani were in Toowoomba:

Religious – On Friday week (November 11) two Catholic clergymen – the Rev M P Renehan and Rev Dr Cani – arrived in town. On the ensuing Sunday, the Rev Father Renehan held divine service at Toowoomba, and the Rev Dr Cani held divine service at Drayton. There was a large congregation of the faith at both places, and during Sunday, as well as the previous and two following days, numbers went to attend Mass, and the other ordinances and observances of the Catholic religion. The rev gentlemen expressed ample confidence in the abundance of the local population's zeal as a guarantee for the construction of a church and the maintenance of a priest for Toowoomba and Drayton. The Rev Fathers left for Warwick on Thursday.(4)

The Darling Downs paper, in 1910, reflected on events of 50 years previously:

Pilton – A correspondent writing from Pilton states: The Rev M P Renehan and the Rev J Cani, DD, arrived here on the 30th. Father Renehan celebrated Mass on Friday morning before a large congregation, as also did Father Cani at about 9.00am. The many Catholic residents were delighted with the visit of their clergy. The rev gentlemen were hospitably entertained and received every courtesy and attention from the Hon H B Fitz. The Rev Fathers then left for Warwick.(5)

The Press reported a visit to Dalby in November 1861:

The Rev Mr Renehan is now visiting the Roman Catholics in this district, and finds a number of children requiring christening, and a few persons desiring to be united in holy matrimony. No Roman Catholic minister has visited this district since separation from New South Wales. It is reported that a Roman Catholic priest is shortly to be located at Toowoomba, and that he will integrate this district, the Condamine, and adjoining parts, at stated intervals of time.(6)

Fr Renehan, appealing for 'The Distressed Irish', Warwick October 1862:

A Warwick correspondent writes: - The Rev Mr Renehan, of the Roman Catholic Church, is at present on a visit to this place. He preached yesterday (Sunday) to large congregations, who seemed fully to appreciate the appearance of a pastor among them. I believe the reverend gentleman is initiating a collection on behalf of the distressed Irish in the old country.(7)

Fr Renehan regularly celebrated marriages at St Stephen's Church, Brisbane in late 1862, 1863 and 1864. In August 1864, there is notice under the title Brisbane Hospital:

The Secretary of the Brisbane Hospital acknowledges, with thanks, the receipt of twenty pounds (£20), from Rev M P Renehan, being proceeds of a collection at St Stephen's Church.(8)

Bishop Quinn had brought Fr Renehan to Brisbane and made him bursar at the Cathedral. In this role, Renehan built up debt.(9) This was an instance of the reasons why Bishop Quinn accused Fr Renehan of extravagance.(10)

In 1865 Bishop Quinn blessed a new Roman Catholic Chapel dedicated to St Edmund at Redbank in the Ipswich Mission. Fr Brun celebrated the first Mass in the new building while

Fr Renehan, of Brisbane, preached, after Mass, a sermon on the establishment and progress of the Christian Church.(11)

Fr M P Renehan was prominent in the early years of the diocese. While respected for his ability, he incurred the antagonism of the bishop; and the feeling was mutual. Dr Neil Byrne notes that Fr Renehan was a close friend of Quinn's successor, Robert Dunne. In a footnote he notes the regular correspondence between the two, where they shared mutual ideas about the settlement of Irish migrants: Dunne in Queensland; Renehan in America.(12)

In October 1863 and October 1864, Fr Renehan wrote scathing letters to the press on the Education Question. These letters, supported by his fellow rebel priests, were published in the North Australian.(13)

Quinn was also deceitful, they claimed, in denying any connection with the North Australian. This was nominally run by the bishop's secretary, Randall McDonnell, but according to the critics was actually owned by the bishop.(14)

This and other accusations were contained in a letter:

Keating wrote in 1865 … against Quinn to Archbishop Polding. Polding sent it on to the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda, which supervised Australian affairs. Keating's accusations were substantially repeated in a statement made by five other Irish priests, Michael Patrick Renehan, Walsh, McGahan, Hogan and Matthew Devitt.

Renehan requested an exeat from Bishop Quinn in 1863. Because of the needs of the mission, Quinn persuaded him to stay. Three more requests were refused.(15)

Early in 1867, Bishop Quinn left Brisbane. In his absence, the five disaffected priests, Michael P Renehan, M C Devitt, James J McGahan, Thaddeus J Hogan, and William M Walsh left Brisbane on 9 March on the 504 ton vessel, City of Brisbane, for Sydney.(16)

They joined Thomas Keating, formerly of Brisbane, and Patrick Sheehan. The six Brisbane priests left Sydney for Ireland in late March. After various deliberations they chose to go to America. They must have sailed to Panama, for it was reported that there they boarded the side-paddle steamer to arrive in New York in May 1867.

Fr M P Renehan accepted into the Diocese of Albany, New York State
In 1869 the Rt Right Rev John J Conroy, Bishop of Albany appointed Fr Michael P Renehan as pastor of Whitney Point to which Marathon was added in 1870. Previous to this time Whitney Point had been attended from Marathon. A wagon shop, which stood on the present site of the Wagoner home, was purchased for $1,399, and used as a church for five years. In 1872 Alonzo Collins donated the land where the present church stands; and in 1875, after great difficulties, St Patrick's Church was completed at a cost of $7,000. Soon after this, Father Renehan secured the old academy building at Marathon, and after remodelling it for a church and parsonage, made the village his home. St Patrick's has since then been an out mission to St Stephen's of Marathon. In 1878 Father Renehan was succeeded by his brother, Rev James J Renehan.(17)

In 1878, Father Renehan moved to the larger rural parish of St Francis Xavier, Marcellus, New York. Marcellus is not far from the city of Syracuse, which was to become the centre of a new diocese in 1881. He was the third resident pastor of that parish. Spending less than two years there he died from typhoid pneumonia after two days illness(18) on 17 November 1879. He was 42 years of age. He was buried in St Francis Xavier Cemetery, Marcellus, in Onondage County of New York. Once again his brother, Fr James Renehan, succeeded him, remaining pastor of that parish for over 43 years. It was Fr James who erected a headstone over Fr Michael's grave in St Francis Xavier Cemetery.(19)

Two excellent sources to read more about Fr M P Renehan
1 Brother Brian Grenier CFC wrote a well-researched, detailed essay on Fr Renehan which is preserved in the Renehan file in the Brisbane Archdiocesan archives.
2 Dr Neil Byrne, in a two part series, wrote well-researched paper on the priests who abandoned Bishop Quinn and moved to America. His paper on Fr Renehan was published in the Proceedings of the Brisbane Catholic Historical Society, Vol 6, pages 60 to 64.

Footnotes
1. The Foundation of the Catholic Church in Queensland, Denis W Martin, 1998 edition, pp. 19-150.
2. Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay & Burnett Advertiser, 1 Aug, 1861, p. 2.
3. North Australian, Ipswich and General Advertiser, Ipswich, 6 Aug 1861, p. 3.
4. Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 20 Nov 1861, p. 3.
5. Darling Downs Gazette, 16 Jul 1910, p. 5.
6. Courier, Brisbane, 23 Nov 1861, p. 2.
7. Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 22 Oct 1862, p. 2.
8. North Australian, Brisbane, 20 Aug 1864, p. 2.
9. Yvonne Margaret McLay, James Quinn - First Catholic Bishop of Brisbane, 1979, p. 59.
10. Ibid. p. 76.
11. Brisbane Courier, 13 Sep 1865, p. 3.
12. Neil J Byrne, Robert Dunne, Archbishop of Brisbane, 1991, pp. 55 to 73 and p. 133.
13. North Australian, Brisbane, 20 Oct 1863, p. 3 and 15 Oct 1864, p. 52.
14. Yvonne Margaret McLay, op. cit. p. 72.
15. Yvonne Margaret McLay, op. cit. p. 74.
16. Brisbane Courier, 11 Mar 1867, page 2.
17. Binghamton and Broome County, New York, History, pp. 204 and 205.
18. Prayer Calendar - Deceased Priest who have ministered the Catholic Faith throughout Toowoomba and districts 1864-2007, p. 15.
19. Pucker Street - History of St Francis Xavier's Church, 160th Anniversary, John P Curtin, 2014.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.