Prayer Calendar: Deceased Priests who have ministered the Catholic Faith throughout Toowoomba and districts, 1864–2025, Compiled by Annie Carrett, Diocesan Archivist, 2001, Updated by Gabrielle Saide, Diocesan Archivist, 2023:
Rev Thomas Patrick Lalor, died 28 Aug 1925

Thomas Patrick Lalor was born at Crow's Nest on 25th September 1888. He was educated at Crow's Nest State School, and on leaving school worked briefly in the Public Service. Seminary studies were completed at St Patrick's, Manly, and he was ordained in St Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane, by Archbishop Duhig on 21st December 1916. As a priest of the Archdiocese of Brisbane he served in the following centers: Assistant Priest, Goondiwindi; Dalby (2 years); Rosalie (1920); Fortitude Valley; Parish Priest, Enoggera (? - 1924); Ashgrove (the first 1924-1925). He was known as an eloquent preacher and organiser. More notoriety by far was gained as a result of the sudden and tragic manner of his death. As he was travelling along Musgrave Road, Red Hill, away from town 5.30pm on Friday 28th August 1925, he collided head on with a city bound tram at the corner of Musgrave and Windsor Roads. Thomas Lalor was killed instantly, while his passenger Mr James Ovens was injured. The tram driver, Mr N.B.Thurlow, who escaped uninjured, had seen the danger and applied his brakes almost stopping his tram by the time the collision occurred. Its force was sufficient to throw a woman passenger from the tram. Eyewitnesses attributed the cause of the accident to a combination of excessive speed and the fact that the car's wheels had become caught in the tram tracks. Thomas Lalor was buried in Nudgee Cemetery on 29th August.
(Ref. Brisbane Archives)

Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, p 176:
Fr Thomas Patrick Lalor

Thomas Patrick Lalor was born at Crow's Nest in Queensland on 29 September 1888. He was the sixth of eight children born to Michael and Hannah, nee Bonfield, Lalor.(1)

Thomas was educated at the local state school in Crow's Nest. He was employed in the State Public Service, prior to beginning his studies for the priesthood at St Columba's college, Springwood, where he was a classmate of Hugh Ryan, later bishop of Townsville. He proceeded to St Patrick's College, Manly for the final four years of his priestly education. In 1916 Archbishop Duhig ordained the twentyeight year old a sub-deacon on 13 Dec; a deacon on 17 Dec and a priest on 21 December all in St Stephen's Cathedral.(2)

In 1917 he was appointed curate at Goondiwindi, followed by two years in Dalby. He was appointed to assist Fr William Lee at Rosalie in 1920. From there he moved to St Patrick's Fortitude Valley before being appointed parish priest of Enoggera.

In 1918, Archbishop Duhig purchased a property, Betheden, in Ashgrove. The largest room in the house was prepared and dedicated on 19 January 1919 to be used as chapel. Priests from St Stephen's cathedral had celebrated Masses there. In 1921 the foundation stone of a church/school was blessed on the site of the present church. Ashgrove was made a separate parish in 1924. Father Lalor was appointed the first parish priest arrived in the midyear. He celebrated the first baptism in the new parish on 6 July. He lived in the church in his early days. When the historic home Grantuly was purchased, Fr Lalor moved in there. The Sisters of Charity arrived in the parish, moving into Grantuly and establishing St Michael's Girls' College on the site. The presbytery at Ashgrove was opened by Archbishop Duhig on 3rd May 1925.(3)

About 5.30pm on 28 August 1925 Fr Lalor was returning to Ashgrove with Mr James Ovens as a passenger in his car. At the junction of Waterworks and Windsor Roads Red Hill, in swerving to pass another vehicle, his car collided with a city bound tram, with great force. Fr Lalor was killed instantly. His passenger received serious but not life-threating injuries.

A solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Stephen's Cathedral at 10.30am on Saturday 29 August. Following the funeral liturgy in the cathedral at 2.00pm the procession took place to Nudgee Catholic cemetery. Fr Lalor's mother, in hospital the time of his death, died less than a month later on 25 September.

Archbishop Duhig presided at the Month's Mind, attended by fifty priests, on 6 October in the Sacred Heart Church, Rosalie. In his address the Archbishop remarked:

There are many present today who could not attend the obsequies of the late Father Lalor, so sudden and tragic had been his death. … He belongs to the Church, of course, at Baptism, but he is hers in a particular manner after ordination. … I am sure the clergy present would like to voice their sympathy with deceased priest's elderly father, in his double bereavement.

Footnotes
1. Queensland Birth Registrations – Thomas 1888/C4743.
2. Catholic Advocate, Brisbane, 3 Sep 1925, p. 20.
3. Sr Carmel Coyle, Parish of St Finbarr, Jubilee Year 2000, p. 14.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.