John Phillips | ANZ Clergy


About Help Contact login Rev John Phillips SJ Title: Rev First Name: John Middle Names: Arnold Preferred Name: Surname: Phillips Order: SJ Date of Birth: 30-Jan-1904 Place of Birth: Campbell Town TAS Country of Birth: Australia Date of Ordination: Place of Ordination: Country of Ordination: Ordination Diocese: Seminary: Date of Death: 18-Sep-1987 Place of Death: Melbourne VIC Country of Death: Australia Date of Burial: Sep - 1987 Place of Burial: Boroondara, Kew VIC Country of Burial: Australia Find A Grave URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/199464922 FindaGrave - Person Photo FindaGrave - Grave Photo Biographical Notes Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017: Phillips, John Arnold Scripture scholar, librarian; born Campbell Town, Tasmania, 30 January 1904; died Melbourne, 18 September 1987, aged 83. John Phillips received his early education in Tasmania before entering the Jesuit noviceship at Greenwich, Sydney, 10 March 1924. He did his university studies at University College, Dublin, where his interest in history was enkindled. He then studied philosophy at Chieri, Turin, Italy. Regency was at Riverview, where, with Gerald Lawlor, he produced a notebook called Notes on European History, designed to remedy deficiencies in the presentation of Catholic aspects of history. He is also credited for being the first Riverview debating master to admit that the GPS competition was the most important phase of the Debating Society. In this aim, Phillips was the first 'team coach' of Riverview debating in the modern sense. It was during his term of office that the Lawrence Campbell Oratory Competition was established. In all three years of his leadership, Riverview reached the final of the GPS competition and won two of them, 1935-36, and it also won the oratory competition. It was during his theological studies at Heythrop College in England that his predilection for scriptural studies appeared. However, he was not able to return to Australia immediately after ordination because of the war. En route to Australia, a German torpedo hit his ship but it did not explode. He began to teach scripture, but had no special training for it. He spent many years at Werribee and Glen Waverley. His grasp of biblical studies eventually became quite encyclopedic, and he was rated highly among professional scholars. In 1954 Phillips was asked to take over the Catholic Central Library after the death of William Hackett. Under his management it became more a bookshop than a lending library. After his retirement from teaching, he gave his full attention to the library, working long hours into the night, catching the last tram home to the Jesuit Theological College. He became notorious for preparing his own meals, and eventually suffered from malnutrition. His contemporaries had always respected his learning and zeal. As he aged, he mellowed, and a wide circle of friends genuinely mourned him. (Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Title:

Rev

First Name:

John

Middle Names:

Arnold

Preferred Name:

Surname:

Phillips

Order:

Date of Birth:

30-Jan-1904

Place of Birth:

Campbell Town TAS

Country of Birth:

Australia

Date of Ordination:

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

Ordination Diocese:

Seminary:

Date of Death:

18-Sep-1987

Place of Death:

Melbourne VIC

Country of Death:

Australia

Date of Burial:

Sep - 1987

Place of Burial:

Boroondara, Kew VIC

Country of Burial:

Australia

Find A Grave URL:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/199464922

FindaGrave - Person Photo

FindaGrave - Grave Photo

Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Phillips, John Arnold

Scripture scholar, librarian; born Campbell Town, Tasmania, 30 January 1904; died Melbourne, 18 September 1987, aged 83.

John Phillips received his early education in Tasmania before entering the Jesuit noviceship at Greenwich, Sydney, 10 March 1924. He did his university studies at University College, Dublin, where his interest in history was enkindled. He then studied philosophy at Chieri, Turin, Italy.

Regency was at Riverview, where, with Gerald Lawlor, he produced a notebook called Notes on European History, designed to remedy deficiencies in the presentation of Catholic aspects of history. He is also credited for being the first Riverview debating master to admit that the GPS competition was the most important phase of the Debating Society. In this aim, Phillips was the first 'team coach' of Riverview debating in the modern sense. It was during his term of office that the Lawrence Campbell Oratory Competition was established. In all three years of his leadership, Riverview reached the final of the GPS competition and won two of them, 1935-36, and it also won the oratory competition.

It was during his theological studies at Heythrop College in England that his predilection for scriptural studies appeared. However, he was not able to return to Australia immediately after ordination because of the war. En route to Australia, a German torpedo hit his ship but it did not explode.

He began to teach scripture, but had no special training for it. He spent many years at Werribee and Glen Waverley. His grasp of biblical studies eventually became quite encyclopedic, and he was rated highly among professional scholars.

In 1954 Phillips was asked to take over the Catholic Central Library after the death of William Hackett. Under his management it became more a bookshop than a lending library. After his retirement from teaching, he gave his full attention to the library, working long hours into the night, catching the last tram home to the Jesuit Theological College. He became notorious for preparing his own meals, and eventually suffered from malnutrition. His contemporaries had always respected his learning and zeal. As he aged, he mellowed, and a wide circle of friends genuinely mourned him.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Rev John Phillips SJ

Biographical Notes