ArchbishopLefebvre.com
Links
  • Archbishop Lefebvre
    • Biography of Archbishop Lefebvre
    • Who is he?
    • In his own words
  • Sermons
    • Sunday Sermons
  • Letters
    • Archbishop Lefebvre >
      • To Friends and Benefactors
      • Other Letters
    • Bishop Williamson >
      • Friends and Benefactors
      • Eleison Comments >
        • Italiano
        • Espanol
      • To SSPX Priests
  • Blog
  • Books
    • E-Books
    • Free Catholic Books
    • Archbishop Lefebvre
    • Bibles
    • Blessed Sacrament
    • Children Books
    • Childrens Saints
    • DVDs
    • Hell
    • Purgatory
    • Our Lady
    • Sacred Heart
    • Missals
    • Missale Romanum
    • Summa Theologica
    • Saints
  • Catholic Faith
    • Catechisms
    • Catholic Art
    • Chant
    • Dogmas of the Catholic Church
    • Encyclicals
    • Sermons
    • History >
      • HughesVol1index
    • Liturgy
    • Sacraments
    • Prayers >
      • Blessings
    • Way of the Cross
  • SSPX Crisis
    • sspx Archbishop Lefebvre
    • monks nuns
    • SSPX Bishop Fellay
    • SSPX Bishop Tissier
    • ex-sspx Bishop Williamson
    • ex-sspx chazal
    • sspx couture
    • sspx fox
    • ex-sspx fuchs
    • ex-sspx girouard
    • ex-sspx hewko
    • sspx laisney
    • sspx ockerse
    • ex-sspx pfeiffer
    • sspx themann
    • Fr. Ringrose
  • Links
    • Other Sites
    • Donate
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • You Tube
  • TradCat Items
    • Beeswax Candles
    • Chapel Veils
    • Prayer Cards - Our Lady
    • Prayer Cards - Espanol
    • Protected Scapulars
    • Scapulars
    • Unbreakable Rosaries
  • Crisis in Church
    • Declaration of the 2006 Chapter (SSPX)
    • Fr Hewko to SSPX Superiors
    • History of the Archbishop and Rome
    • Vatican II more important than Nicea!
    • The Archbishop and Religious Liberty
    • The right to resist an abuse of power
    • How Are Catholics To Respond To The Present Crisis

Early Australian Catholic History III

7/6/2013

 
Picture
  Articles that appeared in the 1990's in "The Catholic' Newspaper, before the Old Redemporist took it over.
By Thomas Acres

Father O'Flynn entered the colony in the height of the autocratic rule of Lachlan Macquarie (1810-1821). Macquarie was a rugged and overbearing Scot, who transformed the life of Sydney in the course of a decade. he hastened to assimilate the emancipated convicts into the society granting them land, admitting them to professions and even inviting them to social functions. This policy greatly favoured the Catholics, most of whom were ex-convicts, thus enabling the Rebels of '98 to become prominent citizens of Sydney.

The free settlers did not approve at all of this policy, thus a bitter feud was underway when Father O'Flynn stepped ashore on November 9, 1817. Macquarie received this intruder with official courtesy, but flatly refused him to perform his ministry. He prohibited him from saying Mass in public, but delayed any other action till he received word from London. Well, after all he did have the title of Prefect-Apostolic from Rome. in Sydney at the time there were around six thousand Catholics, who were a despised minority with very little influence. But besides this small size they found themselves in the centre of a popular movement in his support, petitions were signed and presented to the Governor, but Macquarie remained unmoved, and a warrant for his deportation was served on December 12, 1817.

Father O'Flynn, in order to forestall his deportation 'went bush', which very much tried Macquarie's patience. Another vessel was prepared and after a ten day cat and mouse game with the police Father O'Flynn was eventually arrested and lodged in a common goal. Then on May 20, 1818, he was put aboard the 'David Shea' heading for London, and Governor Macquarie recorded bluntly in his diary: 'O'Flynn, the popish missionary, was this day sent back to England."

During father's six month stay in Sydney he carried on a busy underground apostolate which has become the most vivid and inspiring tradition in the story of the Catholic Church in Australia. He performed his priestly function in secret, saying Mass in a small room of a settlers cottage, with nine or ten people in attendance. For the first time in ten years the faithful could receive the sacrament of Penance and Holy Eucharist, obtain the Church's blessing on their marriage, have their children baptised, and even receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, for which the missionary had special faculties.

But he is most vividly remembered for his role in the story of the 'Holy House of Australia.' tradition has it that before his arrest and deportation, he left the Blessed Sacrament, reserved for the sick, in a cedar press in the cottage of William Davis, (site of St Patrick's Church today) an Irish Blacksmith who was transported for making pikes for the Rebels of '98. For two years after his departure, with the nearest priest six thousand miles away, a lamp was kept burning before the humble tabernacle, and with inspiring faith and fervour the little band of Catholics would gather in secret for devotions. The story is an historically true fact that Father O'Flynn left the Blessed Sacrament in Sydney.

When Father O'Flynn arrived in London he presented a "humble remonstrance and petition of the Roman Catholics of New South Wales" pleading that a priest be sent to them in their plight. His own personal petition for official recognition was dismissed by the Home Office, and the failure of his mission seemed to be complete. But God was to draw from this seeming failure in man's eyes a curious triumph. Father O'Flynn was to become the silent, passive and mostly unconscious reformer of the policy concerning the colonies.

He arrived in England when new liberal and democratic ideas were gaining ground in the political arena. Thus the story of Father's plight was received with sympathy amongst those wishing reform. It touched off a newspaper and political campaign in England and Ireland for the plight of colonial Catholics and the horrors of transportation.
Part IV                                                                                                        Prev Part II


Comments are closed.


    archbishop lefebvre
    Click to see more

    Enter your email address for daily posts:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All
    Apologetics
    Archbishop Lefebvre
    Bishop Williamson
    Blessed Sacrament
    Catechism
    Catholic History
    Chalk Talks
    Chastisement
    Devotions
    Easter
    Eleison Comments
    Eleison Comments
    Eleison Comments Italian
    Encyclicals
    Espanol Eleison Comments
    Families
    Fatima
    Feast Days
    For Fathers (Dads)
    For Moms
    Fortitude
    Holy Ghost
    Holy Name
    Holy Souls
    Holy Week
    Home Schooling
    Lent
    Liberalism
    Litanies
    Liturgy
    Marriage
    Martyrology
    Martyrs
    Mass
    Meditations Of Abl
    Modesty
    News
    New World Order
    Obedience
    Our Lady
    Our Lady Of Quito
    Our Lord
    Pentecost
    Pioneer Priests
    Prayers
    Sacramentals
    Sacraments
    Sacred Heart
    Saint Of The Day
    Saints For April
    Saints For August
    Saints For December
    Saints For February
    Saints For January
    Saints For July
    Saints For June
    Saints For March
    Saints For May
    Saints For November
    Saints For October
    Saints For September
    Scandal
    Scapular
    Sermons
    Sspx
    St Benedict
    St Joseph
    St Michael
    St Michael
    Sundays Of The Year
    Temptations
    The Church
    The Last Things
    The Mass
    The Pope
    The Rosary
    The Saints
    The Virtues
    Tradcat Comments
    Truth Society

    Picture
    Click to see inside the store
    Picture
    k d
    Counter Site
    While Archbishop Lefebvre Blog is provided free of charge, there are administrative and technical costs associated with making it available to subscribers worldwide and with operating this site. Contributions to offset these costs are appreciated, and may be made via the button below

    Archbishop Lefebvre

    Promote Your Page Too
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.