Rev Pat O'Rourke
Title:
Rev
First Name:
Patrick
Middle Names:
Joseph
Preferred Name:
Pat
Surname:
O'Rourke
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Geevagh, Co Sligo
Country of Birth:
Ireland
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Genoa
Country of Ordination:
Italy
Ordination Diocese:
Perth
Seminary:
St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland
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 | Wooloowin | 1918 | 1921 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 | |||||
| Brisbane | Charleville | 1921 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 | ||||||
| Brisbane | Mitchell | Parish Priest | 1922 | 1927 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 | ||||
| Brisbane | Rosewood | Parish Priest | 1927 | 1946 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 | ||||
| Brisbane | Sandgate | Parish Priest | 1947 | May | 1961 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Gravestone; Priests of 1928 |
Biographical Notes
Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, pp 162-163:
Patrick O'Rourke
One of the few Brisbane priests ever to come from Maynooth, Pat O'Rourke was originally destined for Perth.
His life began in Co. Sligo and his education commenced at Summerhill College. He proceeded to Maynooth Seminary from which he switched to the Brignole-Sale Missionary College in Genoa where he was ordained for Perth, Western Australia in 1917.
Perhaps it was shipping problems due to the war that steered Fr Patrick Joseph O'Rourke to this side of the continent but he arrived here in November of 1918.
He went first to Wooloowin, then Charleville, and in 1922 was made Parish Priest of Mitchell, where in 1925 he built a school and convent. At Rosewood, he was Parish Priest from 1927-1946. His last placement was Sandgate where he was responsible for the establishment of St Patrick's College at Shorncliffe.
As he gradually fell into poor health, he was forced to take life easily. The parish buildings also fell into a state of neglect: pigeons took over the church, compelling parishioners to clean and dust the seats before they dared sit in the pews. Pat's main recreation was sitting out on the footpath, yarning with the fire officers from the station across the side street.
He died in the Mater Hospital on 31st May 1961. Burial followed at Nudgee.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)
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Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, pp 208-210:
Denis O'Rourke
Several Fr O'Rourkes worked in the Brisbane Archdiocese. Three are in this photograph. Denis Stanislaus O'Rourke was another of the '98s and 1922 All Hallows group. [...]
Fr Denis O'Rourke, a frail little figure by now, died on 13th July 1975. He was buried at Nudgee.
His brother was Michael O'Rourke. Another brother, Thomas, was ordained in 1934 for service in Australia, possibly in Adelaide. Another brother was 'an Irish missioner' in China, probably a Columban. A cousin was Fr J A O'Rourke DD PhD BA of Lismore, and later of Katoomba, NSW. Fr Pat O'Rourke was not related.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)
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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 Patrick J O'Rourke, died 31 May 1961
Patrick was born at Rivertown, Co. Sligo, Ireland on 18th April, 1892. He was educated at the National School at St James Wells and began ecclesiastical studies at Summer Hill College, Co. Sligo with further studies undertaken at Maynooth and Genoa. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Perth on 17th July, 1917. However, late in 1918 he came to Brisbane where he served for several years at Wooloowin before going as Curate to Charleville in 1921-22; then followed by five years as Parish Priest of Mitchell. In 1927 he moved to Rosewood where he remained as Pastor for the next twenty years. In 1947 he took over the Sandgate Parish where he consolidated Catholic education, establishing St Patrick's College, Shorncliffe in 1952. After months of ill-health, Patrick O'Rourke died in May, 1961 aged sixty-nine. Archbishop Duhig referred to him as "a noble example of the life of a devoted priest and his interest in those he left behind will continue in the Kingdom of Heaven where he is enjoying his eternal reward". His grave is in the Nudgee Cemetery.
(Ref. Brisbane Archives)
Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.