Rev James Colgan SJ
Title:
Rev
First Name:
James
Middle Names:
E.
Preferred Name:
Surname:
Colgan
Order:
SJ
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Kilcock, Co Kildare
Country of Birth:
Ireland
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Country of Ordination:
Ireland
Ordination Diocese:
Seminary:
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
East Melbourne VIC
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Boroondara, Kew VIC
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | North Sydney | 1898 | 1901 | Linane Vol 2 | |||||
| Melbourne | Hawthorn | 1909 | Linane Vol 2 | ||||||
| Sydney | North Sydney | 1910 | 1914 | Linane Vol 2 | |||||
| Melbourne | Hawthorn | 1914 | 1915 | Linane Vol 2 |
Biographical Notes
Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, pp 62-63:
Colgan, James E., Very Rev., SJ, Irish
Beloved Jesuit Teacher and Superior
This worthy was born on 14 January 1849 at Kilcock, County Kildare. His parents were large landholders. At the age of 21, 18 March 1868, he entered the Jesuits and carried out the long study and teaching routine involved in the Jesuit training at Clongoweswood, Milltown Park, and Stonyhurst. He served before or after Ordination at St. Stanislaus College, Tullamore, and at Clongoweswood. He then became Vice-President and Dean of the University College, Dublin. Later on he spent a time in South Africa, and came from there to Australia. The list of 'Priests in the Parish', St. Mary's, North Sydney, as given by Fr. Henry Johnston S.J. in 'A Seed That Grew', places him in that mission from 1898 to 1901. After that he was Parish Priest at Immaculate Conception Church, Hawthorn, - at least for a part of the time - until 1909. In 1910 he again appears on the North Sydney list, remaining until 1914. During this period he had the misfortune to break a thigh, and was in a hospital bed for eight months. Back in Hawthorn in 1914 he was still afflicted with the injury. A trip to Ireland was undertaken in 1915-5, no doubt for health reasons. He died at Mount St. Evin's Hospital in East Melbourne, just three months after return from the overseas trip on 6.8.1915, at the age of 66, and is interred in the Jesuit Vault at Kew.
(Footprints, Vol. 2, No. 7)
Ref.: MDHC File, Torquay, per Fr. Henry Johnston S.J., Author of 'A Seed That Grew'.
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Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Colgan, James
Missionary and pastor; born Kilcock, Ireland, 14 January 1849; died Sydney, 6 August 1915, aged 66.
James Colgan, brother of John, of the Irish province, was educated at Clongowes College, 1869-70, and entered the Society at Milltown Park, 18 March 1868. His juniorate was at St Acheul, Champagne, 1869-70, and, owing to ill health, he did his studies privately, and was ordained by Dr. Moran of Dunedin, in Ireland, 1881.
In his early years he taught, first at Tullamore, 1874-80, where he was also prefect of discipline, and then at Clongowes, 1880-88, where he had a similar job and also completed his theology studies. For a few years, 1888-89, he did pastoral work at Gardiner Street, and then spent some years giving retreats and missions, 1889-91. He spent a few years, 1891-92 at University College, Dublin, as minister, and then from 1892-96, continued his work giving rural missions.
He came to Australia in 1897, and continued his work as a rural missionary, 1897-02. He was appointed superior and parish priest of the Hawthorn parish, 1902-10, followed by a similar job at North Sydney, 1910-15. In 1914, he returned to Ireland, but returned the following year and died suddenly. He was a man of very great austerity of life, and was valued as a spiritual director.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)