Rev Thomas McGrath SJ
Title:
Rev
First Name:
Thomas
Middle Names:
Preferred Name:
Surname:
McGrath
Order:
SJ
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Dublin
Country of Birth:
Ireland
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Country of Ordination:
Ordination Diocese:
Seminary:
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Sydney NSW
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Gore Hill NSW
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Biographical Notes
Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
McGrath, Thomas
Teacher and pastor; born Dublin, 25 January 1841; died Sydney, 23 May 1927, aged 86.
Thomas McGrath entered the Society as a priest, 23 September 1867. He completed his juniorate studies at St Acheul, France, 1869-70, and studied one year of theology at Laval, France, 1874. He taught at Tullamore College, Galway, Limerick and Mungret, during the years 1875-84, before tertianship at Mariendaal, Holland, 1884-5. Then he left for Australia, arriving in December 1885.
For the rest of his apostolic life, McGrath spent his time at St Aloysius' College, 1885-1919, teaching French and book-keeping, as well as being a thoughtful minister for a number of years. As a teacher he was recognised by all as kind and considerate, though a strict disciplinarian.
At Milson's Point he was mainly involved with pastoral work at the Star of the Sea Church. Because of failing health, he retired to Loyola College, Greenwich, from 1919 until his death.
For many years he was confessor to the Jesuit novices and the Josephite novices at Mount Street, North Sydney. He was considered a likeable man by those who knew him, bearded, and in later life nearly blind and almost deaf. He continued saying a special Mass for priests with poor sight until the end, even though he had practically to be held at the altar by the novice servers.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)