Rev Jack Dowling
Title:
Rev
First Name:
Thomas
Middle Names:
John
Preferred Name:
Jack
Surname:
Dowling
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Milmerran QLD
Country of Birth:
Australia
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
St Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane QLD
Country of Ordination:
Australia
Ordination Diocese:
Brisbane
Seminary:
St Patrick's College, Manly, Australia
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Brisbane QLD
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Nudgee, Brisbane QLD
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | South Brisbane | 1920 | Priests of 1928 | ||||||
| Brisbane | Wooloowin | Priests of 1928 | |||||||
| Brisbane | Brisbane | Inspector of Schools | Priests of 1928 | ||||||
| Brisbane | Esk | Priests of 1928 | |||||||
| Brisbane | Cavendish Road | Priests of 1928 | |||||||
| Brisbane | Holland Park | Parish Priest | 1936 | Apr | 1938 | Priests of 1928 |
Biographical Notes
Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, pp 154-155:
Thomas [Jack] Dowling
He was cut off, having just reached the high meridian of life - so it was felt at the time of the death of Fr Jack Dowling.
'Jack' was more correctly Thomas John Dowling, who was ordained by Archbishop Duhig in St Stephen's in 1919. He had been born in Millmerran and educated in Dalby at St Columba's Convent. Mons. Tom Nolan had encouraged his vocation but before he went to Sydney for his training he had qualified as a teacher.
From 1920, he worked at St Mary's, South Brisbane and then at Wooloowin. Because of his teaching qualifications, he was made Inspector of Schools for some years.
In 1931, he was Archbishop Duhig's 'Mr Fix-it' for he had an unpleasant assignment. At Enoggera, Fr Ignatius Bossence had refused to move out of the presbytery and was behaving scandalously.
The parish was divided. Jack was sent in to administer the sacraments to 'Duhig's followers'. He built a new brick presbytery after the opening of which, the estate agents were called in to sell the other from under Bossence's feet.
After brief appointments at Esk and Cavendish Rd, he was made Parish Priest of the new parish of St Joachim's at Holland Park in 1936.
This 'very promising and energetic priest' during 18 months there, opened a Church, Presbytery and School and was planning a Convent.
Fr Jack collapsed suddenly in the Presbytery and died shortly after in the Mater Hospital on 18th April 1938.
In his eulogy at the Cathedral, Archbishop Duhig spoke with genuine regret: 'The Church in Brisbane has lost a most worthy priest who in his 18 years of priesthood had shown every promise of great things ahead.' He was buried at Nudgee next to Fr J J Kelly who had died only two months before.
Years later, Bishop Torpie, who as Fr John Torpie was afterwards Parish Priest of Holland Park, still spoke of what a wonderful priest Jack had been and what a tragedy his death was when in the prime of his priestly life.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)