ANZ Clergy Logo
About Help Contact
login

Rev William Kennedy

Title:

Rev

First Name:

William

Middle Names:

Preferred Name:

Surname:

Kennedy

Order:

Date of Birth:

Place of Birth:

Grainge Mockler, Co Tipperary

Country of Birth:

Ireland

Date of Ordination:

24-Jun-1865

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

Ordination Diocese:

Seminary:

Date of Death:

04-Sep-1897

Place of Death:

Adelaide SA

Country of Death:

Australia

Date of Burial:

Place of Burial:

West Terrace, Adelaide SA

Country of Burial:

Australia

Find A Grave URL:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/159726785

Appointments Table

Diocese
Place
Role
Start Day
Start Month
Start Year
End Day
End Month
End Year
Source
Adelaide KadinaJan18671883Wallaroo Times and Mining Journal, 9 January 1867; Advocate, Melbourne, 11 September 1897
Adelaide North Adelaide18831897Advocate, Melbourne, 11 September 1897
Items per page:
0 of 0


Biographical Notes

Topics of the Day, The South Australian Advertiser, Adelaide, 20 September 1866, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28791277:

The new Roman Catholic Bishop, the Right Rev. Dr. Shiel, has commenced his arrangements for the diocese of South Australia in a manner which has, we understand, given very general satisfaction amongst his flock. Mount Barker is in future to be under the management of two clergymen—the Revs. Messrs. Dowling and Bongaert having been selected for the charge. Gawler Town is committed to the care of the Rev. M. O'Connor. The Very Rev. Mr. Woods has been appointed Secretary to the Bishop, with the general management of Catholic education throughout the colony. The Rev. Mr. Reynolds is to be his successor in Penola, but does not take possession until after Christmas. The important districts of Wallaroo, Kadina, &c, will be filled up as soon as possible, as the Bishop expects four new clergymen in a very few weeks. Two of these, the Revs. Messrs. Kennedy and Nyland [Hyland] have just been ordained from All-Hallows College, and are supposed to have sailed from home about six weeks since.

---

Shipping News. Arrived, South Australian Weekly Chronicle, Adelaide, 17 November 1866, p 1, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article94742088:

Friday, November 16—Penola, steamer, 261 tons, F. P. Snewin, master, from Melbourne, via Ports MacDonnell and Robe. W. Younghusband, Jun., and Co., agents. Passengers— [...] Rev. Thomas Hyland, Rev. J. Kennedy [...]

---

The Wallaroo Times and Mining Journal, Port Wallaroo, 9 January 1867, p 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110357329:

We have been informed that the Rev. Father Reynolds, C.C., will be presented, on Thursday next, with a valedictory address upon the occasion of his leaving the district. The Rev. Father Kennedy, recently from Ireland, has been appointed as permanent minister of the Catholics at Kadina.

---

Death of Dean Kennedy. A beloved Pastor, The Express and Telegraph, Adelaide, 4 September 1897, p 4, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article209122806:

The news of the death of the Rev. Dean Kennedy, the known priest of the Catholic Church and the beloved chief of the parish of St. Laurence, North Adelaide, will be received with profound regret by members of his denomination and by the public generally. The name of the dean was a household word in Catholic circles particularly, but his large-heartedness, his genial disposition, and the great interest he took in philanthropic work gained for him the admiration of people of all denominations. The deceased gentlemen had been in ill-health for some weeks. His heart was affected and when dropsy made its appearance and gradually extended it became evident that the sufferer could not recover, so that the news of his death will not be a surprise to many. The dean died on Saturday morning at his residence, Buxton-street, in the presence of Fathers Delahunty, Cornes, Adamson, and O'Neill, and Dr. O'Connell. The office for the dead will be performed at the Church of St. Laurence, Buxton-street, on Tuesday morning and the body is to be embalmed. The Revs. Father Delahunty and John Healley are the executors under the will of the deceased gentleman. Dean Kennedy was educated at Waterford College and was brought up on the borders of Waterford and Tipperary. He came to this colony about November, 1866, just after the arrival of Bishop Shiels. His first appointment was at north Yorke's Peninsula, the headquarters then being at Kadina, where a church had been established by the Jesuit Fathers, and which was visited at intervals of about two months by the late Dr. Reynolds. During his pastorate at Yorke's Peninsula he finished the church, and presbyteries at Kadina, Wallaroo, Moonta, and Snowtown. In 1883 he was appointed dean, and succeeded Archdeacon Russell as the administrator at St. Laurence's, North Adelaide. He was one of the council of the archdiocese for many years, and his advice was always sought on matters affecting the welfare of the church in this colony. Dean Kennedy was a typical parish priest, an excellent administrator, and an accomplished scholar and theologian. He had business ability of no mean order, and as already observed he was exceedingly popular with all classes of the community.

---

South Australia. Archdiocese Of Adelaide. Death of the Very Rev. Dean Kennedy, P.P., Advocate, Melbourne, 11 September 1897, p 17, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article170171844:

We much regret to announce the death of the Very Rev. Dean Kennedy, Parish Priest of North Adelaide, which occurred at his presbytery, Buxton-street, North Adelaide, at 7.30 a.m. last Saturday. In the city and suburban churches on Sunday prayers were asked for the repose of his soul. For the past two years the Dean's health had been failing: indeed, he never perfectly recovered from a severe attack of influenza and inflammation of the lungs, which overtook the very rev. gentleman in October, 1895. So completely prostrated was the Dean at that time that the Archbishop of Adelaide thought it well to administer the last Sacraments to the devoted priest. After his partial recovery, Dean Kennedy continued his active work for religion and Catholic education in his parish. Two churches, St. Laurence's, North Adelaide, and Our Lady Help of Christians, Lower North Adelaide, and two flourishing Catholic schools attest the interest and zeal with which the deceased priest watched over the interests of Christian education in his important parish. His last effort was to reduce the debt on St. Laurence's Church, over £400 having had to be spent in repairing the damage done by the storm of February, 1896. A day or two after the bazaar, which was held in the North Adelaide Institute, had closed, the very rev. gentleman was prostrated. The old trouble was renewed, and this time gained the victory. He passed peacefully away, surrounded by Rev. Frs. Cornes, Adamson, O'Neill, and Delahunty, and Dr. O'Connell. Dean Kennedy was remarkable for his kindness and charity. He was greatly loved by his people, and highly esteemed for his courtesy and manliness by all who had the good fortune to make his acquaintance. He always held a leading place among his brother priests, having been a member of the Archdiocesan Council, and a prominent figure at the quarterly meetings of the clergy. In September, 1895, he was chosen to represent the clergy of the Archdiocese at the Plenary Council which was held in Sydney in November of that year. He was, however, too ill to fulfil the task entrusted to him. The tolling of the great bell of St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral on Saturday morning conveyed the sad intelligence to the community that it had lost a worthy and zealous priest. The expressions of genuine regret to be heard on all sides testified to the deep respect and esteem in which the late Dean Kennedy was held. The remains having been embalmed, were on Sunday, after last Mass, conveyed from the presbytery to St. Laurence's Church, where the people flocked to pray for the eternal repose of one who, during his labours in the sacred ministry for thirty years, had proved himself a true pastor of souls.

The Dean was born at Grainge Mockler, County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1838. He studied classics at a private school at Carrick-on-Suir, and philosophy and theology at St. John's College, Waterford, and was a school companion of the Bishop of Port Augusta. He was ordained priest on 24th June, 1865, and came to Adelaide in the following year. His first appointment was at Kadina, and he had charge of that parish and district for about seventeen years. During his pastorate, churches were established at Wallaroo, Moonta, and Snowtown. In 1883 the then Archbishop of Adelaide appointed Fr. Kennedy parish priest of North Adelaide, and later on conferred upon him the title of Dean. St. Laurence's Church, during his charge, was considerably altered and improved, and convents were provided for the Order of Dominican Nuns, who also built a beautiful Priory Chapel. The obsequies took place in St. Laurence's Church on Monday morning, when the church was thronged. The Archbishop of Adelaide presided, attended by the Very Revs. Archdeacon Russell and Dr. Byrne. Requiem High Mass was sung by Rev. M. Delahunty; deacon, Rev. W. O'Dowling, S.J.; sub-deacon, Rev. J. Healy; master of ceremonies, Rev. J.A. Cornes. Among the clergy also present were:—Revs. Archpriest Nevin, P.A. Enright, W.J. McEvoy, P. Hurley, T. Cosgrave, T. Collier, F. O'Neill, M. Hourigan, T. Lee, F. Adamson, P. Davis, P. Landy, P.M. Carr, O.C.C., A. Milz, S.J., Superior of the Jesuit Mission; J. Herdern, S.J., A. Herberg, S.J., and Frs. Andrew, C.P., John, C.P., and Alfred, C.P. There were also present the Rev. Brother Hughes, Principal of the Christian Brothers' College; Dr. O'Connell, and several nuns; and the Rev. J.T. Robertson, M.A., of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. After Mass the Archbishop pronounced the absolution. Headed by male and female members of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society, the cortege proceeded to the West-terrace Cemetery. Besides those already mentioned, there were present at the funeral:—The Chief Secretary, Hon. J.V. O'Loghlin, representing the Government; the Superintendent of Public Buildings, Mr. C.E. Owen Smyth; the Mayor of Adelaide, Mr. C. Tucker, and Councillor Downs; representing the City Corporation; Drs. Lynch and Hynes, Messrs. A. MacDonald, J.J. Leahy, and F.B. Keogh, D.P.P., and D. Young, D.S., of the Hibernian Society, and other prominent Catholics, and Messrs. M.H. Madge and A.W. Hendry, representing the Industrial School for the Blind, of the committee of which institution Dean Kennedy was a member; and Mr. T. Roberts, Locomotive Engineer. On Monday the Archbishop received the following telegram from the Premier, at Sydney:—"Have just seen announcement of Dean Kennedy's death. Please accept assurance of deepest sympathy. It is a great loss, not only to Church, but to community, and my wife and I both mourn the loss of a much valued personal friend. Mr. Holder and Dr. Cockburn join us with their expressions, and with kindest regards to yourself."

The following charitable bequests have been made by the late Dean:— £100 to the Sisters of St Joseph, Kensington; £100 to the Convent of Good Shepherd, Abbotsford, Victoria, of which Dean Kennedy's sister is Mother Provincial; £50 to the Goodwood Orphanage; £50 to the Jesuits for Masses for the repose of his soul; £50 to be divided among the priests in the Archdiocese with the same intention; £25 to Fr. Delahunty; £10 to the Industrial School for the Blind, North Adelaide. Provision is also made for the transfer of the Catholic School at Ovingham, which is conducted in a building belonging to the late Dean's estate, to the Church Endowment Society, on condition that £100 is given to the Dominican Nuns at North Adelaide, and £100 raised as the nucleus of a fund for a new Church Lower North Adelaide.

---

Fr Frank Cresp, Good and Faithful Servants: Recalling the Spirit of the Deceased Priests of the Diocese of Port Augusta and Port Pirie 1888-2008, 2008:
Kennedy
Second Parish Priest of Kadina about 1967[sic]

(Reproduced with the approval of Sister Mary Cresp RSM)

Sort