Geelong, Vic; Goulburn, NSW; Hobart; Brisbane

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Irish death record, https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1875/020610/7231669.pdf: Superintendent Registrar's District Mt Bellew, Registrar's District Killeroran. 1875. Deaths Registered in the District of Killeroran in the Union of Mt Bellew in the County of Galway. No. 34: On Third September 1875 at Ballygar, death of Revd. John Cavenagh, male, bachelor, 72 years, Roman Catholic Priest; of old age, 4 months ill, no medical attendant; informant: The mark of Mary Conally, present at death, of Ballygar, Eleventh September 1875.

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Father John Kavanagh, Advocate, Melbourne, 18 December 1946, p 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172232956:

The first resident priest was Fr. John Kavanagh, who arrived in Portland by the Wave on September 19, 1847, after a 13 days' trip from Melbourne. Little is known of his earlier history, except that he was from the diocese of Tuam (the Irish Directories for 1838 and 1844 show an assistant priest of that name in the parish of Kilcoman) and in the records of the First Provincial Synod held in Sydney in September, 1844, he is shown as stationed at Maitland. He came to Melbourne in August, 1846. His new mission included the Belfast district, for he signs himself in the registers "Minister of Portland and Port Fairy," and newspaper references would indicate that the journey between the two places was usually accomplished by sea.

The new pastor soon set about erecting a chapel. The "Corio Chronicle" of March 27, 1848, reported that "the foundations of the Roman Catholic chapel at Portland are completed and preparations are going forth to complete the structure." The "Portland Guardian" in December of that year stated: "The walls of the Roman Catholic chapel are up and the roof is in course of progression. . . . The building promises to be a neat one if not spoiled by too many decorations." And again, on February 8, 1849, we read that tenders were called, by Fr. Kavanagh for glazing and painting the chapel, also for fencing the allotment.

The "Portland Guardian" of February 9, 1849, announced that "the Right Rev. Dr. Goold, the Roman Catholic Bishop, arrived in Portland on Tuesday last, accompanied by the Rev. J. Kavanagh, on his first visit to this part of the Port Phillip diocese." During the previous three months, Fr. Kavanagh, at the request of the Bishop, had been making an extensive tour of Gippsland.

On February 12, the same journal reports: "The Right Rev. Dr. Goold conducted divine services yesterday in the Roman Catholic chapel for a large congregation, and afterwards presided at a meeting called for the formation of a branch of the Catholic Association." February 11 then is apparently the date of the blessing of the new chapel. This is "the commodious little chapel at Portland" which, the Bishop states in his diary, was one of three places of Catholic worship in the diocese on his arrival, the others being the churches at Melbourne and Geelong. It still stands between the rear of the presbytery and the convent, and has served for very many years as a primary school.

A few days later, the Bishop left Portland to return to Melbourne, taking with him Fr. Kavanagh, whom he was transferring to Melbourne. During his brief 12 months at Portland, he had accomplished an extraordinary amount of pastoral work, involving incessant travelling on horseback around the scattered stations. His journeys backwards and forwards across his extensive territory can be traced in the baptism records. Each month he seems to have set himself a different target in the most distant parts of his mission, returning for a few days only to headquarters. Places visited in this fashion again and again were the Wannon, Mount Sturgeon and the Grange, the Hopkins River, the Glenelg, and even Mount Gambier.

Restless Energy
His subsequent history continues to show the same restless energy. During 1849, he was at various times at St. Francis', Geelong, and Gippsland, and by the end of the year he seems to have taken on a roving commission that took him as far away as Bacchus Marsh. In January and February, 1850, he was with the Bishop on a visitation of Gippsland, but a week after their return to Melbourne he left the diocese and returned to Sydney. "Garryowen" states that he went back to Ireland, but that was not until 1856, and in the meantime he had spent some years assisting his brother, Fr. Michael Kavanagh in Goulburn. The latter, known as the Apostle of the Monaro, was a similar type of man, who during 10 years at Queanbeyan was said to have travelled about 4000 miles a year. The last traceable reference to Fr. John Kavanagh, is from the "Roscommon Journal" (10/8/1861), when, as temporary administrator of the parish of Roscommon, he welcomed his brother home there after an absence of 20 years.

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, p 55:
Fr John Kavanagh

The Sick and Infirm Priests' Society's prayer card lists Ravannah, L J, as a deceased priest of the diocese. In fact this priest was Fr John Kavanagh who accompanied Fr Hanly to Brisbane in December 1843.

Fr John Kavanagh was the brother of Fr Michael Kavanagh, born at Roscommon in the Irish archdiocese of Tuam, who came to Australia in 1840. As Fr Denis Martin, from whose book I have taken my story, writes: 'Very little, comparatively speaking, is known about Fr John Kavanagh'.

Fr John arrived in Moreton Bay on 13 December 1843 aboard the steamer James Watt, with Fr Hanly, having left Sydney on Friday night 8 December. Fr Kavanagh officiated at the first recorded Catholic burial in the colony, that of Lawrence Kelly, on 8 June 1844. His name appears in the gazette at the funeral of Patrick Keegan, a prisoner at Ploughed Station, a Government farm at Bundamba on 28 January 1844, when he was gazetted as being chaplain to the Moreton Bay Regiment. His last baptism in Brisbane was on 16 July 1844.

He left the colony, to arrive in East Maitland where he officiated at a baptism on 6 October. From Maitland he went to Norfolk Island, maybe in another chaplaincy to a regiment!

He then moved to Melbourne to assist Fr Therry. Later he was in Portland and Mount Gambier from 1847 to 1849. He was on the staff of St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney in 1850/1851. For the next five years he was curate to his brother, Fr Michael, in Goulburn.

In spite of being described as 'the reckless brother of Fr Michael', this quote from the Goulburn Herald is quite touching.

Permit me to gratify the lovers of gossip with a piece of local intelligence, viz., the departure of Rev John Kavanagh. He has gone and forever. But if he is gone from us, we have the consolation of knowing that he has returned to his Native Land. Last Sunday after a sermon – which, by the way, was a brilliant one – the Rev Gentleman took a very feeling farewell of the Congregation, asking forgiveness from all he might have offended and granting his pardon to those who might have offended him, and begging the prayers of the people for himself. Although the scene was very affecting it was a mere nothing to what took place on the following day when the poor old gentleman took a last farewell of the children attending the Catholic School. It is not in my power to describe the sensation produced on the children by his most pathetic address and by the paternal manner in which he took his leave of them. Years will not efface it from their memories. There was not a dry eye in the school – Master, Mistress and Children. During Monday evening two gentlemen went round the town and collected a very handsome sum which they presented to him, and which must have been very necessary from the charitable, unsparing way he always used his money. He left by the Sydney Mail and his whole flock wish him Safe Journey.(1)

Fr John Kavanagh returned to Ireland in February 1856, and helped about in the diocese of Tuam. He died in Ireland, aged 72, on 3 September 1875 and was buried in Roscommon.(2)

For More Information read: The Foundation of the Catholic Church in Queensland, Denis W Martin, 3rd edition 2018, pp. 55-58; and The Kavanaghs, [in] The Men of '38 and other pioneer priests, John O'Brien, 1975, pp 171 to 174.

Footnotes
1. John O'Brien, The Men of '38 and other pioneer priests, 1975, pp. 172 and 173.
2. Denis W Martin, The Foundation of the Catholic Church in Queensland, 2018 edition, p.58.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.