Rev Thomas O'Dwyer
Title:
Rev
First Name:
Thomas
Middle Names:
Preferred Name:
Surname:
O'Dwyer
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Barronstown, Co Tipperary
Country of Birth:
Ireland
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
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Ordination Diocese:
Seminary:
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Melbourne VIC
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Boroondara, Kew VIC
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Biographical Notes
Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
O'Dwyer, Thomas
Teacher, administrator; born Barronstown, Tipperary, 8 September 1873; died Melbourne, 27 November 1942, aged 69.
Thomas O'Dwyer, brother of James, was educated at Clongowes, Ireland, 1887-92, and entered the Society, 7 September 1892, at Tullamore. He was a junior at Milltown Park, 1894-5, studied philosophy at Valkenburg, 1895-98, did regency at Xavier College, 1898-03, and at St Patrick's College, East Melbourne, 1903-05, studied theology at Milltown Park, and did tertianship at Linz, Austria, 1910-11.
O'Dwyer returned to Australia in 1911 and was sent to St Patrick's College, where he was prefect of studies from 1913, and rector for a year 1918-19. Then he was appointed rector of St Ignatius' College, Riverview, until 1923. He also taught and organised the senior debating. After a rest in 1924, he went to St Patrick's College, where he was prefect of studies from 1924-31, and rector from 1931-42. He was a consultor of the vice-province, 1935-42. He died suddenly in office very shortly after saying Mass one day.
'Toddy' as he was affectionately called, was a very well liked man, gentlemanly, straight and kind, a fine scholar, and a good teacher of history. He was a founder and secretary of the Catholic Teachers' Association in Victoria, 1925-42. His gentle nature was much more suited to St Patrick's College than to Riverview. People liked and respected him as a priest of great simplicity and sincerity, kindness and charity. Above all he was most unobtrusive, yet a hard worker.
He was a deeply spiritual man, and spent hours visiting patients at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, and hearing confessions on Saturdays. Like his brother James, he was unable to pay people compliments, but he was courteous in his praise of others. Unlike James who was compulsive and full of energy, Tom was hesitant in beginning any new undertaking, but always gave a sympathetic hearing to plans for developments.
Being a sensitive man, he was deeply affected by the early death of his Jesuit brother James. Even more tragic was the assassination of his other brother, Sir Michael, by a fanatical Indian student, Udham Singh, 13 March 1940, in Caxton Hall, London, for the massacre at Amritsar, 13 April 1919, while he was Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab. Over 379 protesters were killed and 1,200 wounded. The 'Massacre' was officially condemned, and many Indians considered Michael a tyrant.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)