Rev Bill McGovern
Title:
Rev
First Name:
William
Middle Names:
Vincent
Preferred Name:
Bill
Surname:
McGovern
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Toowoomba QLD
Country of Birth:
Australia
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
St Patrick's Church, Toowoomba QLD
Country of Ordination:
Australia
Ordination Diocese:
Brisbane
Seminary:
St Columba's College, Springwood, Australia
St Patrick's College, Manly, Australia
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
South Brisbane QLD
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Toowoomba QLD
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Appointments Table
Diocese | Place | Role | Start Day | Start Month | Start Year | End Day | End Month | End Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | Stanthorpe | 1925 | 1929 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 | |||||
| Brisbane | Warwick | 1929 | 1930 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 | |||||
| Toowoomba | Chinchilla | 1930 | 1936 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 | |||||
| Toowoomba | Charleville | 1936 | 1937 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 | |||||
| Toowoomba | Chinchilla | 1937 | 1956 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 |
Biographical Notes
Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, p 223:
William McGovern
Although he died in Brisbane, Fr McGovern would hardly have been known in the Archdiocese.
William McGovern was born in Toowoomba in 1902 and educated at Holy Name Convent and the Christian Brothers. He went through Springwood and Manly, then was ordained at St Patrick's in Toowoomba in 1925 by Archbishop Duhig.
He served in Stanthorpe before going to Warwick in 1929. He was Parish Priest at Chinchilla, 1930-36, at Charleville in 1937, then returned to Chinchilla.
Perhaps it was ill-health, but he proved to be a cranky and difficult priest. He is described as 'a wild redhead who had a phobia for trains and a violent dislike for bishops or anything "episcopal".' When in 1947 Bishop Roper transferred him to Goondiwindi, he refused to move. His doctor obligingly provided a medical certificate claiming that the climate at Chinchilla suited his health and it would be injurious to move him anywhere else.
He died at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane after a long illness and was buried in the Toowoomba-Drayton Cemetery.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)
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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 William Vincent (Bill) McGovern, died 3 Nov 1956
Born 27th December, 1902 in Toowoomba, to Michael and Catherine McGovern (nee White). He attended Holy Name Convent School and Christian Brothers, Toowoomba. His Seminary training was at Springwood and Manly, and he was ordained in Toowoomba on 8th December, 1925, by the Most Rev James Duhig, DD. His first appointment was as Assistant Priest in Stanthorpe in 1925, followed in 1929 by Warwick, Chinchilla (1930-36),Charleville (1936-37) and Chinchilla again in 1937. He was a wild redhead and had a phobia for trains and a violent dislike for Bishops or anything Episcopal. He was transferred by Bishop Roper to Goondiwindi in 1949. He refused to go, producing a medical certificate claiming his health and the climate were factors against his ever leaving Chinchilla. He died in the Mater Hospital, Brisbane after a long illness. He is buried in the Toowoomba/Drayton Cemetery.
(Ref. Clerical CV and Fr B. Kane)
Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.