Personal Paragraphs, Catholic Leader, Brisbane, 13 April 1961, p 14:

Among other pioneer clergy of the north who went to Ingham for the recent ceremony was Monsignor Patrick Bannan, parish priest of North Rockhampton, who was one of the pioneer priests of the Herbert River district. As a young priest stationed at Townsville, he would alternately make trips to the Ingham district and to Bowen, Home Hill and Ayr. he recalls boat trips to these districts in the days when there were no roads. It was his custom to travel around the Herbert River district on horseback and celebrate Mass in the Court House at Halifax. In those days the journey by horseback from Halifax to Ingham took longer than the trip from Townsville to Halifax.

---

Cars Blessed in Rockhampton Parish Ceremony, Catholic Leader, Brisbane, 8 August 1963, p 6:

Monsignor P.M. Bannan blessed about 100 cars in a ceremony in the grounds of St. Maria Goretti's Church Koongal, Rockhampton.

Standing in the back of a four-wheel-drive vehicle which moved between the lines of cars, Monsignor Bannan sprinkled holy water and blessed the cars before a crowd of about 300.

He officiated in the absence of Bishop Rush, who was in Bundaberg in connection with the destruction by fire of St Patrick's Church.

The ceremony began with the invocation of God's blessing on the vehicles and all those who would ride in them.

Reciting the opening prayers, Monsignor Hannan stood at the top of the church steps, where an altar had been erected for Benediction.

After the prayer, Monsignor banna and the master of ceremonies, Father R. Durham, parish priest of St. Maria Goretti's, mounted to the back of the four-wheel-drive vehicle for the blessing ceremony.

The vehicles returned to the front of the church and Monsignor Bannan addressed the congregation.

Monsignor Bannan said that the idea of blessing things used daily seemed to have gone out of fashion.

It was often thought that the act of blessing should be reserved for sacred things and that blessing of everyday objects was superstition.

But the Church taught that the natural and supernatural could be made to harmonise.

Since human beings were dependent on material things, any everyday object was capable of helping or hindering their spiritual progress.

Blessings were not superstition, but plain common-sense, and if God was prepared to confer His blessing on physical objects, His mercy should be asked for.

---

Grand Old Priest Mourned. Monsignor Bannan Dies, The Review, Rockhampton, December 1963, pp 2, 7:

Parish Priest of St. Theresa's, Rockhampton, for less than twelve months, a highly esteemed priest of the Diocese of Rockhampton, Monsignor Patrick Maurice Bannan, died suddenly on Saturday, November 9th.

Never robust in health, Monsignor Bannan had learned to live with infirmity and fulfilled to the end, with more than ordinary zeal, the functions of his priestly office. It was always a source of inspiration to younger priests to find the old pastor at his desk every Saturday night assiduously preparing his Sunday sermon, and invariably his sermons were worth while, bringing home to the people the fundamental truths to which the Monsignor had dedicated his life.

Beneath a mild eccentricity of his latter years, due to his constant battle with ill health, there beat a warm heart full of humanity and of humility which unostentatiously revealed itself in solid piety, generous charity and in deep loyalty to the Church and to his ecclesiastical superiors.

Nephew Offers Mass
Solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated in St. Joseph's Cathedral on Monday, 11th November. The celebrant was Father T. Punzell, a grand nephew of the deceased. Chief among the mourners was Mrs. Kirwan of Dumbleton, via Mackay, a sister.

The Vicar General of the Diocese, Monsignor Tiernan, presided at the Mass and preached the panegyric. Former curates of Monsignor Bannan, Fathers Michael Hayes and Brian Leahy, were ministers at the Mass.

Monsignor Tiernan read a telegram of sympathy from Bishop Rush in Rome.

Panegyric
In his panegyric, he said: "Your charitable prayers are asked this morning for the repose of the soul of Monsignor Patrick Maurice Bannan. Parish Priest of St. Theresa's Parish for less than 12 months, he suffered a heart attack in the early hours of Saturday morning. He received the Last Sacraments of the Church at the hands of his assistant priest, Father Gilbert, and was taken to the Mater Hospital, where he died shortly afterwards. With his death, the diocese has lost one of its grand old priests. His passing breaks another link with the pioneering days of the Diocese of Rockhampton.

"He was born nearly 80 years ago at Mackay on the 29th February, 1884 and he often said he could only celebrate his birthday every four years. He received his early education at a State school in the country and later went to a Private School at Mackay for his secondary studies.

"Brought up in an excellent Catholic home, his thoughts early turned to the Priesthood. At the age of 19, he was accepted by Bishop Higgins as a student for the Diocese of Rockhampton. He entered St. Patrick's College, Manly, Sydney, in 1903. At that time, the Manly College was the only Ecclesiastical Seminary m Australia. This was back in the days when Cardinal Moran was Archbishop of Sydney and when there were only 2 dioceses in Queensland—Brisbane and Rockhampton, with a Vicariate Apostolic at Cooktown.

"After completing his course in Philosophy and Theology, the young Patrick Bannan was ordained to the priesthood in St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, on the 30th November, 1909. After his Ordination Father Bannan came to Rockhampton, and for the last 54 years has given loyal and faithful service to God and to the Church in this diocese. For the first 20 years of his priesthood the diocese of Rockhampton included the present diocese of Townsville.

"After a short period at Barcaldine, he was appointed assistant priest at Mt. Morgan, where he served for 2 years. He was then transferred to Townsville and later to Charters Towers, where he spent 6 years. For short periods he acted as administrator at Mt. Morgan and Charters Towers.

"He was made Parish Priest of Ravenswood in 1922. During the last 40 years he has been parish priest in various parts of the diocese. He spent 3 years at Richmond, two at Winton and 6 years at Yeppoon. It was while he was at Yeppoon that he was made a Diocesan Consultor in 1930. In 1933 he was transferred to Bundaberg. Here he worked for 18 years and it was under his guidance and direction that 2 new parishes were established in the city. At Bundaberg he was made Dean of the southern part of the diocese.

Made Monsignor
"After leaving Bundaberg in 1951, Dean Bannan spent 4 years in South Mackay and in 1955 came to North Rockhampton as Parish Priest. While he was at South Mackay he was honoured by Pope Pius XII and made a Domestic Prelate with the title of Monsignor.

"Twenty-six years of his priestly life were spent at Bundaberg and North Rockhampton. During that period many of the priests of the Diocese served under him as assistant priests, and all of them have retained sentiments of sincere respect and deep affection for Monsignor Bannan. His charity in speaking of others was widely recognised and admired. The large number of priests here today for his funeral Mass is an eloquent expression of the esteem in which he was held.

"During most of his 54 years in the diocese, he suffered considerable ill-health, but proved himself always a loyal and devoted priest. He was highly acclaimed as a preacher and to the end prepared his sermons carefully.

"One of his outstanding gifts was in dealing with children. They were fond of him and they felt at home in his presence and he with them. He exercised an amazing influence over them, particularly over those who did not have the opportunity of attending a Catholic school. There are many in Queensland today, who have reason to thank God for the instructions which they received from Monsignor Bannan and for the salutary influence which he had upon them.

"He was hospitable and generous. His fellow priests realised that his presbytery was a home for them and they knew that they were always assured of a genuine welcome. He had a deep respect for his priesthood and strove faithfully to be worthy of it. There was a sincere earnestness about his encouragement of vocations. From his slender means he gave generously to the needy. Indeed, his constant charity kept him poor, but he was always happy in his generous giving.

"I extend to his sorrowing sister, Mrs. Kirwan, and to his many relatives, the genuine sympathy of the diocese. We all share with them their sense of loss.

"The diocese is grateful to God for the long priestly life of Monsignor Bannan and as we joined in this Holy Mass offered by his grand-nephew Father Punzell , we commend to God his kindly, generous and gentle soul.

"Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen."