Ballarat, Vic; Hobart

Australian Dictionary of Biography entry: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/delany-patrick-5944

Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, pp 135-137:

Delany, Patrick, Most Rev., Irish
Stout Defender of the Faith in Hobart
(Contributed by Mary Nicholls, Kingston Beach, Tasmania).
Patrick Delany was born in the village of Tonacor, parish of Killian (also called Newbridge), County Galway on 1 February 1853, one of three children of John Delany and Margaret (nee Mannion). His father died in 1860, but his mother managed to keep Patrick at the Franciscan Brothers school at Mount Bellew, although Tonacor was a poverty-stricken area. His early scholastic promise ensured further education at the Jesuit-run St. Ignatius' College, Galway, and on leaving school he at first entered the Jesuit novitiate at Milltown Park near Dublin. However he decided that his vocation lay in the missionary field and in September 1874 was accepted at All Hallows Missionary College for the diocese of St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. A brilliant career led the authorities to offer him a teaching position at the College, and so he was released from his commitment to St. Paul's to undertake further study at the Institut Catholique in Paris where he gained the degree of Bachelor of Sacred Theology, taking first place in a class of eighty students from many countries. He then returned to All Hallows as professor of history and canon law in 1880.

The college was in need of funds at this time. So in 1885 Delany and Fr. Sylvester Barry were sent to Australia to raise money, visiting Tasmania in January 1886. During their absence All Hallows was taken over by the Vincentian Fathers, so the collectors decided to make Australia their future home. Delany became private secretary to Bishop James Moore of Ballarat and accompanied him on his 'ad limina' visit to Rome in 1887, where Pope Leo XIII conferred the degree of Doctor of Divinity in recognition of his studies in Paris. On their return Delany was appointed consultor and synodal examiner in 1890 and assisted Moore in persuading the Christian Brothers to take over St. Patrick's College left vacant by the departure of the Holy Ghost Fathers. He also began a writing career, contributing articles to the now defunct magazine, Austral Light (Melb.) on sociological and scientific subjects.

In 1893 he was asked to accept the appointment of coadjutor bishop of Hobart with the right of succession to Archbishop Daniel Murphy, but he attempted to decline the honour. Despite his protests he was consecrated at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Ballarat, by Archbishop Thomas Carr on 10 December 1893. The Ballarat people showed their appreciation of his services by presenting a chalice of local gold.(**).

His years as coadjutor in Tasmania were spent in assisting the ageing Archbishop in pastoral work, his particular mission being the small schools scattered throughout the diocese which he visited regularly, and personally examined in secular as well as religious subjects. He continued his writing, contributing to the Australasian Catholic Record and other journals on a wide range of subjects. He attended inter-state church conferences and congresses, formed the fund for the education of priests in 1904 as well as the fund for assisting aged and invalid priests.

On the death of Murphy on 29 December 1907, Delany succeeded to the See. Special application to Rome was necessary to establish the title of Archbishop which had been granted to Murphy 'causa honoris' on the occasion of his golden jubilee in 1888. This was granted and the title has ever since been attached to the See of Hobart.

In the following March Delany sailed for Europe to organise a supply of priests and teachers for the diocese. He visited Rome, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, and Belgium, and arranged for the Christian Brothers to come to Tasmania to conduct St. Virgil's College in Hobart, then being built; arranging also for young priests to continue their studies in European Universities. He advertised Tasmania as a suitable place for immigration of young farmers and orchardists, writing letters to newspapers and giving interviews to journalists. He returned in February 1909.

Delany's work in education increased with the passing of the years. He continued his personal visits to schools, insisting on the regular attendance of pupils. Through his friendship with the Director of Education, W.L. Neale, he arranged for government inspection of Catholic schools. Out of his own pocket he paid for the further training of young teachers at mainland teaching colleges. He gave them lectures in psychology, a special interest which enabled him to give a paper to the Australian Association for the Advancement of Science at Hobart in 1902. In 1911 he opened St. Virgil's College and in 1918 laid the foundation stone of St. Patrick's College, Launceston. He arranged the formation of the Australian Catholic Federation in Launceston to advance the cause of Catholic education, and strongly urged the laity to take Catholic newspapers into the home and join Catholic libraries. After a visit to New Zealand in 1909 he praised the schemes of social welfare he saw there — the old age pension scheme, the arbitration system, and land settlement for small farmers. He consistently urged the Government to adopt closer settlement schemes and to support the rights of the worker.

Although he supported the principle of conscription in the referenda of 1916 and 1917, he disliked violence and advocated reasoned, temperate expression of views by both sides. In the years of World War 1 he forbade his priests from entering into controversy unless the Church was specifically attacked.

Great personal charm, a proficient knowledge of at least six languages, a wide interest in all subjects, were characteristic of his episcopate. In 1919 his health began to fail. Accordingly a coadjutor, Dr. William Barry, was appointed. The versatile man, erudite journalist, and Good Shepherd died of a serious illness on 7 May 1926. His remains lie in St. Mary's Cathedral alongside those of his predecessor and of the first priest in Tasmania, Father Philip Conolly.

(**) Delany's zeal and popularity were spoken of for years after his departure for Hobart. Ballarat historian, William Withers, a Presbyterian himself, was intrigued by the Delany influence over lapsed and dying Catholics. Youth also, through a vibrant C.Y.M.S., came under his sway. So the pure gold of the parting memento, a chalice, reflected the gold of the people's esteem. … T.J.L.
(Footprints, Vol. 3, No. 8)