Justin Simonds
Encyclopedia
Justin Daniel Simonds was an Australia
n prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
, serving as the 5th Archbishop of Hobart
from 1937 to 1942 and as the 4th Archbishop of Melbourne
from 1963 to 1967.
, New South Wales
, Simonds was ordained
to the priesthood
by Archbishop Michael Kelly
on 30 November 1912.
After ordination, Simmonds was posted to Bega
in Southern NSW as curate. After 12 months at Bega Simmonds was sent to the Seminary at Manly
as Professor of Sacred Scripture and Greek. In 1916 he was appointed to the junior seminary at Springwood
in NSW as Professor of Hermeneutics (the interpretation of the Bible). In 1921 he returned to Manly
as Professor of Sacred Scripture and Dean.
From 1928 to 1930 Simmonds studied at the University of Louvain in Belgium
. In 1930 he graduated with a PhD
.
From 1931 to 1937 he served as Vice Rector and then Rector of the Seminary at Springwood
.
On 18 February 1937, Simonds was appointed Archbishop of Hobart
by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following 6 May from Archbishop Giovanni Panico
, with Bishops Norman Gilroy and Patrick Joseph Farrelly serving as co-consecrators
. Simmonds was the first native born Australian Archbishop.
In 1942, Simonds was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Melbourne
and Titular Archbishop
of Antinoë. Archbisop Mannix appointed him as the parish priest of St. Mary's Star of the Sea, West Melbourne. He was to remain Coadjutor Archbishop of Melbourne
for the next 22 years, when he succeeded Archbishop Mannix.
Attending the Second Vatican Council
from 1962 to 1965, he succeeded the late Daniel Mannix
as Archbishop of Melbourne
on 6 November 1963. Simonds was the first native Australian to hold that office.
He returned to Melbourne where he celebrated Mannix's funeral Mass
and preached the panegyric: "We are mourning one of the world's leaders of our time. A cedar of Lebanon has fallen," said Simonds.
On 19 July 1964, he dedicated the new pipe organ in St Patrick's Cathedral to the memory of his predecessor. This instrument, one of the largest in Australia, has 4,762 pipes and a set of Spanish trumpets. It remains in use today, and is a spectactular instrument to listen to.
Ill-health and age reduced Simonds' own period as Melbourne
's archbishop (while he was in office, he suffered several strokes and his vision greatly deteriorated). He eventually resigned on 13 May 1967, after only three years of service. Upon his retirement, he was made Titular Archbishop of Libertina.
On 3 November 1967, Simonds died from a stroke
at the Mercy Hospital in Melbourne, at age 77. He was buried in the crypt of St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne alongside his predecessor.
Justin Villa the home in Melbourne for retired Priests and Simonds Catholic College in West Melbourne are named after him in recognition of his work.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, serving as the 5th Archbishop of Hobart
Archdiocese of Hobart
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hobart is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Hobart and covering Tasmania, Australia....
from 1937 to 1942 and as the 4th Archbishop of Melbourne
Archdiocese of Melbourne
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Erected initially in 1847 as the Diocese of Melbourne, a suffragan diocese of Archdiocese of Sydney, the diocese was elevated in 1874 as an archdiocese of the...
from 1963 to 1967.
Biography
Born in Glen InnesGlen Innes, New South Wales
Glen Innes is a parish and town on the Northern Tablelands, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of the Glen Innes Severn Shire Council. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and the Gwydir Highway...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Simonds was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Archbishop Michael Kelly
Michael Kelly (bishop)
Michael Kelly was an Australian Roman Catholic clergyman, the fourth Archbishop of Sydney.Born at Waterford, Ireland, to James Kelly, a master mariner, and Mary née Grant, Kelly was educated at Christian Brothers’, Enniscorthy and the Classical Academy, New Ross.Kelly received his seminary...
on 30 November 1912.
After ordination, Simmonds was posted to Bega
Bega, New South Wales
Bega is a town in the south-east of New South Wales, Australia in the Bega Valley Shire. It is the economic centre for the Bega Valley.-Place name:One claim is that place name Bega is derived from the local Aboriginal word meaning "big camping ground"....
in Southern NSW as curate. After 12 months at Bega Simmonds was sent to the Seminary at Manly
Manly, New South Wales
Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...
as Professor of Sacred Scripture and Greek. In 1916 he was appointed to the junior seminary at Springwood
Springwood, New South Wales
Springwood is a town in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. Springwood is located 72 kilometres west of Sydney in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains. At the 2006 census, Springwood had a population of 8,210 people. It is largely Anglo-Celtic.Springwood is near the...
in NSW as Professor of Hermeneutics (the interpretation of the Bible). In 1921 he returned to Manly
Manly, New South Wales
Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...
as Professor of Sacred Scripture and Dean.
From 1928 to 1930 Simmonds studied at the University of Louvain in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. In 1930 he graduated with a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
.
From 1931 to 1937 he served as Vice Rector and then Rector of the Seminary at Springwood
Springwood, New South Wales
Springwood is a town in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. Springwood is located 72 kilometres west of Sydney in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains. At the 2006 census, Springwood had a population of 8,210 people. It is largely Anglo-Celtic.Springwood is near the...
.
On 18 February 1937, Simonds was appointed Archbishop of Hobart
Archdiocese of Hobart
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hobart is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Hobart and covering Tasmania, Australia....
by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following 6 May from Archbishop Giovanni Panico
Giovanni Panico
Giovanni Panico was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Nuncio to Portugal from 1959 to 1962, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1962.-Biography:...
, with Bishops Norman Gilroy and Patrick Joseph Farrelly serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. Simmonds was the first native born Australian Archbishop.
In 1942, Simonds was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Melbourne
Archdiocese of Melbourne
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Erected initially in 1847 as the Diocese of Melbourne, a suffragan diocese of Archdiocese of Sydney, the diocese was elevated in 1874 as an archdiocese of the...
and Titular Archbishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Antinoë. Archbisop Mannix appointed him as the parish priest of St. Mary's Star of the Sea, West Melbourne. He was to remain Coadjutor Archbishop of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
for the next 22 years, when he succeeded Archbishop Mannix.
Attending the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
from 1962 to 1965, he succeeded the late Daniel Mannix
Daniel Mannix
Daniel Mannix was an Irish-born Australian Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th century Australia....
as Archbishop of Melbourne
Archdiocese of Melbourne
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Erected initially in 1847 as the Diocese of Melbourne, a suffragan diocese of Archdiocese of Sydney, the diocese was elevated in 1874 as an archdiocese of the...
on 6 November 1963. Simonds was the first native Australian to hold that office.
He returned to Melbourne where he celebrated Mannix's funeral Mass
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
and preached the panegyric: "We are mourning one of the world's leaders of our time. A cedar of Lebanon has fallen," said Simonds.
On 19 July 1964, he dedicated the new pipe organ in St Patrick's Cathedral to the memory of his predecessor. This instrument, one of the largest in Australia, has 4,762 pipes and a set of Spanish trumpets. It remains in use today, and is a spectactular instrument to listen to.
Ill-health and age reduced Simonds' own period as Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's archbishop (while he was in office, he suffered several strokes and his vision greatly deteriorated). He eventually resigned on 13 May 1967, after only three years of service. Upon his retirement, he was made Titular Archbishop of Libertina.
On 3 November 1967, Simonds died from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
at the Mercy Hospital in Melbourne, at age 77. He was buried in the crypt of St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne alongside his predecessor.
Justin Villa the home in Melbourne for retired Priests and Simonds Catholic College in West Melbourne are named after him in recognition of his work.
External links
- St Patrick’s Cathedral The Archbishops of Melbourne by Dean W.J. McCarthy
- Michael Costigan, 'Simonds, Justin Daniel (1890 - 1967)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 16, Melbourne University Press, 2002, pp 243–244.