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Rev Patrick O'Grady CM

Title:

Rev

First Name:

Patrick

Middle Names:

Preferred Name:

Surname:

O'Grady

Order:

CM

Date of Birth:

23-Mar-1837

Place of Birth:

Co Galway

Country of Birth:

Ireland

Date of Ordination:

06-Jan-1864

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

Ordination Diocese:

Seminary:

Date of Death:

14-Mar-1867

Place of Death:

Brisbane QLD

Country of Death:

Australia

Date of Burial:

15-Mar-1867

Place of Burial:

Paddington QLD

Country of Burial:

Australia

Find A Grave URL:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183398523

Appointments Table

Diocese
Place
Role
Start Day
Start Month
Start Year
End Day
End Month
End Year
Source
Brisbane BrisbaneJun1866Mar1867Queensland Daily Guardian, 16 March 1867
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Biographical Notes

Deaths, The Brisbane Courier, 15 March 1867, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1281510:

O'Grady.—On the 4th March, at the residence of the Roman Catholic Bishop, Rev. Patrick O'Grady.

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Notes of the Week, Queensland Daily Guardian, Brisbane, 16 March 1867, p 5, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article288539825:

Father Patrick O'Grady, of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Thursday morning, at the residence of Bishop Quinn, after a protracted illness. The Rev. Father arrived here from Galway in May last, by the ship Rockhampton.

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Notes and Events, Queensland Daily Guardian, Brisbane, 16 March 1867, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article288539808:

The funeral of the late Rev. Patrick O'Grady took place yesterday. Between four and five o'clock the funeral procession began to move from St. Stephen's Church, where the body of the deceased had been deposited the previous evening. The route to the cemetery where the late Rev. Father was to be interred —in the Catholic burying-ground — was from Elizabeth-street by Eagle-street to Queen- street, the whole length of which was traversed. The procession then proceeded along the river side, by William-street, and reached the cemetery about half-past 5 o'clock. There was a very numerous attendance at the funeral. First in the procession walked the acolytes bearing the cross and the sacred vessels of the church, followed by the girls attending the various Catholic schools in the city, wearing white scarfs. The boys of the same schools and their teachers walked next, and after them a large concourse of males and females connected with the Catholic Church in Brisbane. Four priests immediately preceded the hearse, reading prayers as they went; the hearse followed containing the coffin, and the cortege was completed by a long string of cabs and riders on horseback. On arriving at the chapel in the cemetery, the usual offices for the dead were performed ; but, being unacquainted with the Roman ritual, our reporter failed to distinguish the separate parts of the ceremony which occupied some time. The assemblage then dispersed, and for one hour after were to be seen wending their way back to town.

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, pp 11-12:
Fr Patrick O’Grady CM

The story of Father Patrick O’Grady is typical of many Irish immigrants who died at a young age from a chest disease, probably tuberculosis. He arrived in Brisbane on 2 June 1866 aboard the clipper Rockhampton which left London on 28 January. The vessel, owned by the Black Ball company, called at Queenstown in Ireland where it embarked many Irish migrants travelling to Queensland. It was under the command of Captain Christianson. During the voyage there were 26 deaths including that of the vessel’s 34 year old surgeon, Henry Pedgrift MD. A message when the vessel was a few days from Moreton Bay revealed that there were twelve cases of fever on board. The vessel was put into quarantine with infected passengers shipped to the quarantine station at Dunwich on Stradbroke Island. This would have been a set-back to Fr O’Grady already suffering from a serious chest illness.(1) Sadly the log books for this voyage were among those destroyed by the great Brisbane floods of 1893.

Fr O’Grady who was a member of the Vincentian order came to Australia to see if he could have some relief from his chest problems. It appears that he was able to do little work as the climate did not cure nor even ease his illness. He died some nine months after his arrival on 14 March 1867. The Brisbane Courier has a lengthy report of his funeral, in which we learn something about his short life.

Death of the Rev Patrick O’Grady, RCC
We regret having to announce to our readers the above melancholy event, which took place at the residence of the Right Rev Dr Quinn at an early hour on Thursday morning.
The Rev Mr O’Grady was, we understand, a native of the west of Ireland. His early studies were made in the seminary under the care of the congregation of St Vincent of Paul, at Castleknock, near Dublin; and while there, a long-cherished desire of devoting himself to the ministry matured itself into a resolution to join the Vincentian Fathers. The Council of the Congregation, on being informed of this resolve, and having satisfied itself, as far with the dispositions of the young aspirant, sent him to the mother-house at Paris. After two years’ probation, he was admitted to the vows made by the children of St Vincent. A little later, at the feast of the Epiphany 1864, he received Holy Orders. On being recalled to Ireland, he was added as an assistant to the few members of his congregation working zealously in the western suburbs of the city of Cork. Father O’Grady was little more than a year in ministry when his failing health began to create anxiety in the minds of those under whom he worked. He was successively moved from one part of the United Kingdom to another, and finally, with a view of saving his earnestness to the good cause, it was decided to send him on a long sea voyage.
His gentle, cheerful manner will be long remembered by his fellow passengers on the ship ‘Rockhampton’. Since he landed he has been trying to recruit himself at one or other of our seaside towns. But at length, feeling that Providence did not will his longer stay in this world, he hastened to Brisbane to spend his last days among his brethren in the ministry; and, thus, at 4 o’clock yesterday morning, while the weary wasted frame rested on the bosom of a fellow labourer, his spirit departed.
All through Thursday the bells of the Catholic Churches tolled the funeral peal. An hour after sundown, the remains, as prescribed by the ritual of the Roman Catholic Church, were conveyed from the death chamber to St Stephen’s Church, there to tarry some hours on their way to their final resting-place. At the portal of the church the coffin was met by the clergy, in cassock and surplice, and preceded by acolytes and cross-bearer. The Miserere and Requiem Anthems were chanted as the procession passed up the Church, till the body was laid at the threshold of the Sanctuary. The solemn Vespers of the dead were recited according to the prescribed form, all the Roman Catholic clergy of Brisbane being present.
A solemn office was sung and Mass for the dead offered up on Friday, at Stephen’s Church, which was much resorted to during the day by those who desired to pray for the repose of the soul of the deceased. About 4 o’clock in the afternoon the funeral procession began to be formed at the church, and about half-past 4 it set out for the Cemetery. The procession was led by some young lads, in white surplices, one of whom carried a crucifix. Young men and women, members of religious confraternities, followed, and were succeeded by the children attending the Catholic schools, after whom came clergymen, in surplice and stole, immediately preceding the hearse, and repeating prayers for the dead. A large number of persons brought up the rear of the procession. On the funeral arriving at the Cemetery, the De Profundis was chanted, and the interment took place with customary ceremonial of the Church.
(2)

Fr Patrick O’Grady was one of four priests buried in the old Paddington cemetery. When Lang Park was created on this site the cemetery was excavated and remains recovered moved to Toowong cemetery. No remnants of the graves of these priests were discovered.

The old Paddington cemetery was in disrepair by 1911. The Queensland Parliament resumed the site for recreational purposes. Some remains and monuments were moved to the Toowong cemetery. No memorials to the three priests buried there were discovered. On 10 January 2002 a memorial to these three - William Bowe, Patrick O’Grady and Giuseppe Pompeo - was blessed in Nudgee Catholic Cemetery by Bishop John Gerry.(3) Also buried in that cemetery was a former priest, who had left and married and became a barrister. He was reconciled with the Church before his death by Bishop Quinn who officiated at his burial at Paddington.

Footnotes
1. Brisbane Courier, 5 Jun 1866, p. 2.
2. Brisbane Courier, 19 Mar 1867, p, 2.
3. Catholic Leader, 27 Jan 2002, p. 1.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.

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Incorrectly listed as having been stationed at Longreach:

  • Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 1, 1979, p 55: "O'Grady, Patrick CM (Secularised?) / Ir. / C'kock / d. at Longreach 14.3.1867. Buried Barcaldine."
  • A Prayer-Calendar of Deceased Priests & Deacons in Australia 1788-2009, compiled by W.T. Southerwood, Sixth Edition, 2009, p 35: "Longreach, Cleveland, Brisbane, etc, Qld."

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