Edward Riordan | ANZ Clergy


About Help Contact login Rev Edward Riordan SJ Title: Rev First Name: Edward Middle Names: Preferred Name: Surname: Riordan Order: SJ Date of Birth: 31-Oct-1904 Place of Birth: Cork Country of Birth: Ireland Date of Ordination: Place of Ordination: Country of Ordination: Ordination Diocese: Seminary: Date of Death: 20-Feb-1987 Place of Death: Melbourne VIC Country of Death: Australia Date of Burial: 24-Feb-1987 Place of Burial: Boroondara, Kew VIC Country of Burial: Australia Find A Grave URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/199464921 FindaGrave - Person Photo FindaGrave - Grave Photo Biographical Notes Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017: Riordan, Edward Novice master, missionary, theologian; born Cork, Ireland, 31 October 1904; died Melbourne, 20 February 1987, aged 82. Edward Riordan came from a remarkable Irish family. Of five boys, three became priests and two doctors. All four sisters received a tertiary education. The Christian Brothers in Cork educated him before he entered the Society at Tullamore, 1 September 1924. Riordan's Jesuit studies were all in Ireland, and his secular studies in the classics were undertaken at the National University at the colleges in Cork and Dublin. He was sent to Australia for his regency at St Aloysius' College, Milson's Point, 1932-35. He was ordained, 31 July 1939, and arrived back in Australia in 1944. After two years as socius to the master of novices he was appointed master for 16 years, and more than 100 Jesuits were formed by him. In 1961 he was assigned to profess theology, first in the diocesan seminary at Glen Waverley, then at Canisius College, Pymble. These were not the happiest years for him, as he was well aware of his limitations as a teacher of theology. At the age of 67 Riordan volunteered to teach English in Lahore, Pakistan, for four years, then returned to Australia to work with the poor at Salisbury North, Adelaide. Living in a housing commission dwelling was not easy, privacy was hard to find, but he loved the people and was loved by them. They called him 'Ned'. After six years in this work he went to live with the homeless men at Corpus Christi Community, Greenvale, Victoria, where the men praised him for being a hopeful sign of God's wisdom and true human dignity. After four years his memory began to fade and he was forced to retire to the Hawthorn parish community. The sisters at Nazareth House eventually cared for him. His memory had practically almost gone. He was perceived by his novices to combine the rationality of John Fahy with the genuine affective devotion of John Corcoran. He taught his novices the deepest truths of the following of Christ, he lived by those truths as he taught them, and he carried them superbly into the life he led when his term as master of novices was over. His whole life was one of humble service. The way he showed was an austere way, one of prayer, self-denial and fidelity. He lived a life of great personal poverty and self-sacrifice. Rarely did his novices see the man who in his younger days had been a merry companion and the life of the party. He loved the stage and was a good actor and enjoyed proclaiming poetry and prose. Shakespeare was a particular love. There was fire in Riordan, there were flashes of merriment, but so much was suppressed. It was his understanding of his role. However, he mellowed in his latter years and entered into the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. In himself, he was not an aloof person, but very companionable. He was not a hard man, but rather had the gift of strong gentleness. He was at peace with himself, and content with his own company, deeply prayerful, and at home with the Blessed Trinity, a priest after the mind of St Ignatius Loyola. (Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Title:

Rev

First Name:

Edward

Middle Names:

Preferred Name:

Surname:

Riordan

Order:

Date of Birth:

31-Oct-1904

Place of Birth:

Cork

Country of Birth:

Ireland

Date of Ordination:

Place of Ordination:

Country of Ordination:

Ordination Diocese:

Seminary:

Date of Death:

20-Feb-1987

Place of Death:

Melbourne VIC

Country of Death:

Australia

Date of Burial:

24-Feb-1987

Place of Burial:

Boroondara, Kew VIC

Country of Burial:

Australia

Find A Grave URL:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/199464921

FindaGrave - Person Photo

FindaGrave - Grave Photo

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

Novice master, missionary, theologian; born Cork, Ireland, 31 October 1904; died Melbourne, 20 February 1987, aged 82.

Edward Riordan came from a remarkable Irish family. Of five boys, three became priests and two doctors. All four sisters received a tertiary education. The Christian Brothers in Cork educated him before he entered the Society at Tullamore, 1 September 1924.

Riordan's Jesuit studies were all in Ireland, and his secular studies in the classics were undertaken at the National University at the colleges in Cork and Dublin. He was sent to Australia for his regency at St Aloysius' College, Milson's Point, 1932-35. He was ordained, 31 July 1939, and arrived back in Australia in 1944. After two years as socius to the master of novices he was appointed master for 16 years, and more than 100 Jesuits were formed by him. In 1961 he was assigned to profess theology, first in the diocesan seminary at Glen Waverley, then at Canisius College, Pymble. These were not the happiest years for him, as he was well aware of his limitations as a teacher of theology.

At the age of 67 Riordan volunteered to teach English in Lahore, Pakistan, for four years, then returned to Australia to work with the poor at Salisbury North, Adelaide. Living in a housing commission dwelling was not easy, privacy was hard to find, but he loved the people and was loved by them. They called him 'Ned'. After six years in this work he went to live with the homeless men at Corpus Christi Community, Greenvale, Victoria, where the men praised him for being a hopeful sign of God's wisdom and true human dignity. After four years his memory began to fade and he was forced to retire to the Hawthorn parish community. The sisters at Nazareth House eventually cared for him. His memory had practically almost gone.

He was perceived by his novices to combine the rationality of John Fahy with the genuine affective devotion of John Corcoran. He taught his novices the deepest truths of the following of Christ, he lived by those truths as he taught them, and he carried them superbly into the life he led when his term as master of novices was over. His whole life was one of humble service. The way he showed was an austere way, one of prayer, self-denial and fidelity. He lived a life of great personal poverty and self-sacrifice. Rarely did his novices see the man who in his younger days had been a merry companion and the life of the party. He loved the stage and was a good actor and enjoyed proclaiming poetry and prose. Shakespeare was a particular love.

There was fire in Riordan, there were flashes of merriment, but so much was suppressed. It was his understanding of his role. However, he mellowed in his latter years and entered into the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. In himself, he was not an aloof person, but very companionable. He was not a hard man, but rather had the gift of strong gentleness. He was at peace with himself, and content with his own company, deeply prayerful, and at home with the Blessed Trinity, a priest after the mind of St Ignatius Loyola.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)

Rev Edward Riordan SJ

Biographical Notes