Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Lawlor, Gerald

Teacher, missionary; born Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland, 15 March 1907; died Hazaribag, India, 17 January 1993, aged 85.

Gerald Lawlor was the fifth and youngest son of seven children. His father, James, had lived in London as a young man and had trained as a stenographer. His mother, Frances Teasdale, was born of a Protestant family, but later became a Catholic.

His early education was entrusted to the Presentation Brothers in Dublin, and through the instrumentality of a Loreto Sister he came to experience a Jesuit mission-preacher. Lawlor decided to become a Jesuit.

He entered the Society at Tullamore, 5 January 1925. His juniorate studies were at Rathfarnham, Dublin, when he studied for the BA degree at the National University of Ireland, graduating with honours. He studied philosophy at Chieri, Italy and at Tullabeg.

During these years, Lawlor had a growing desire to become a missionary. He was at first interested in China, then Russia, and finally Australia. He was sent to Australia for regency for four years at St Aloysius' College, Sydney. He was a memorable teacher and well liked by the boys.

In the autumn of 1936 Lawlor went to England for his theology studies at Heythrop College. He was ordained, 31 July 1939, just weeks before the outbreak of World War II, and returned a year later to Australia. The story of his trip on the boat, which rammed an enemy submarine, was recalled with exciting detail.

After his return, he worked in the parish of North Sydney, taught philosophy at Loyola College, Watsonia, and taught secondary students at St Louis School, Perth. He was then appointed socius to the vice-provincial, Austin Kelly, in 1947.

In mid-January 1952 Lawlor was assigned to the new mission in India, where he was head of the department of English at St Xavier's College, Ranchi. Except for short periods, he was to remain at the college for the rest of his life.

Lawlor was experienced as a man of genuine culture and innate courtesy, as well as a distracted, wistful person. He was a remarkable teacher, dramatising what was dull and making it come alive, by illustrating whatever seemed too abstruse or complex.

He was also interested in and successful in directing a variety of plays with his own personal flair. He even wrote his own dramas that were well received.

Another important ministry of Lawlor's was pastoral care for the English-speaking Catholics of Ranchi. He was experienced as a caring, assiduous pastor, compassionate to all. He was always available to people, his door always open, and his alms giving was most generous, even to the apparently undeserving poor. He was called the 'Messiah of the Shunned', a title given to him for his work with the Missionaries of Charity and for the rehabilitation of leprosy-sufferers.

He rejoiced in Vatican II, claiming that it gave him a real sense of freedom, but the movement of the Spirit never gave him fluency in Hindi. He was a true charismatic whose usual mode in every relationship was the theatrical-dramatic. Added to that was the personal aura that was his, the air of mystery that seemed to surround him no matter were he went or whatever he did. The end result was that he always made an impact on people and situations. It was never easy to challenge his ideas and never easy for him to accept those of others. However, he was a man once encountered never forgotten.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)