Francis Xavier Gsell
Encyclopedia
Francis Xavier Gsell OBE was an Australian Roman Catholic bishop and missionary, known as the "Bishop with 150 wives". He was born at Benfeld
, Alsace
in 1872. He was ordained as a priest in the order of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
in 1896, after study in Rome.
He began active missionary work in Papua
in 1900, then in 1906 re-established the Catholic Church in Palmerston (now Darwin
), Northern Territory. He established an Aboriginal mission on Bathurst Island in 1910 and worked there until 1938. Though unsuccessful in converting adults, he persisted with children's education and "bought" many girls promised in marriage to older men according to tribal custom. He became known as the "Bishop with 150 wives" (also the title of his autobiography) for his activities in freeing girls from such arranged marriages, thus making it possible for them to marry men of their own age.
Gsell was Bishop of Darwin
from 1938 to 1949, during which time he was influential in founding Aboriginal missions at Port Keats and Arltunga. He died in 1960.
Benfeld
Benfeld is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The handsome 1846 synagogue survived the Nazi occupation.-References:*...
, Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
in 1872. He was ordained as a priest in the order of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart is a missionary congregation in the Latin Church,one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the Catholic Church led by the Bishop of Rome...
in 1896, after study in Rome.
He began active missionary work in Papua
Papua (Australian territory)
The Territory of Papua comprised the southeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea from 1883 to 1949. It became a British Protectorate in the year 1884, and four years later it was formally annexed as British New Guinea...
in 1900, then in 1906 re-established the Catholic Church in Palmerston (now Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
), Northern Territory. He established an Aboriginal mission on Bathurst Island in 1910 and worked there until 1938. Though unsuccessful in converting adults, he persisted with children's education and "bought" many girls promised in marriage to older men according to tribal custom. He became known as the "Bishop with 150 wives" (also the title of his autobiography) for his activities in freeing girls from such arranged marriages, thus making it possible for them to marry men of their own age.
Gsell was Bishop of Darwin
Roman Catholic Diocese of Darwin
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Darwin is a suffragan Latin rite diocese of the Archdiocese of Adelaide based in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia....
from 1938 to 1949, during which time he was influential in founding Aboriginal missions at Port Keats and Arltunga. He died in 1960.