Rev James Collins SJ
Title:
Rev
First Name:
James
Middle Names:
F.
Preferred Name:
Surname:
Collins
Order:
SJ
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Melbourne VIC
Country of Birth:
Australia
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Country of Ordination:
Ordination Diocese:
Seminary:
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Ranchi, Hazaribagh
Country of Death:
India
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Country of Burial:
Find A Grave URL:
Biographical Notes
Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Collins, James
Missionary; born Melbourne, 11 November 1927; died Ranchi, India, 29 October 1963, aged 35.
James Collins was educated at Genazzano and Xavier College, 1937-45. He passed his Intermediate in eight subjects, his Leaving examination in seven and his matriculation in five, with first class honours in chemistry and second class honours in physics. He was very interested in cricket, and was a member of the first XI for two years, and captained the team in his last year. He studied dentistry at the University of Melbourne for three years before joining the Society, 1 February 1949, at Loyola College, Watsonia.
After his juniorate studies at Watsonia in 1951 he was missioned to India, where he immediately engaged in language studies. He studied philosophy at De Nobili College, Poona, 1954-56, and did regency at St Xavier's, Hazaribag, 1957-58, teaching English, Latin, mathematics, history and geography, as well as being involved with discipline and games.
Theology studies at St Mary's, Kurseong, followed, 1959-62, with ordination, 2 January 1963. He was stationed at Daltonganj, Palamau, for five months, where he showed outstanding ability and zeal, combined with a happy, easygoing manner, and an ability to manage complex situations.
Before going to tertianship, he attended a YCW conference at Nagpur, and returned to St Xavier's to see some of friends who had been with him at Kurseong. His car was forced off the road by a taxi that gave him no room to pass. To avoid hitting pedestrians on the side of the road, he swung the car right and then left. The door flew open and he was thrown out. He sustained serious injuries to his head and back. His passenger was unhurt and ran to St Xavier's for help. He was taken to hospital, but died about four hours later. He was a great loss to the mission.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)