Matthew Quinn (bishop)
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Matthew Quinn DD
{29 May 1821 in Eadestown
, Kildare
, Ireland
16 January 1885 in Bathurst
, New South Wales
), an Australian suffragan bishop
, was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst
, New South Wales. Dr Quinn was appointed to the role by Archbishop Polding in 1865 and served until his death in 1885.
in Rome
in 1837, studying for the priesthood before transferring to the Pontifical Irish College
in 1839 where he graduated with a doctorate in sacred theology in 1845. Ordained a priest in 1847 in the Church of St John Lateran
in Rome, Quinn worked as a missionary in Hyderabad
with Bishop Daniel Murphy for eight years; returning to Ireland and became vice-president of St Laurence O'Toole's Seminary, Dublin; where his brother James was President. Quinn succeeded as President in 1859 on James' appointment as Bishop of Queensland. For the next six years, Quinn supported James through the organisation of shiploads of Irish migrants to Queensland
.
, Quinn arrived in Australia aboard Empress on 21 October 1866 with Murray, nine priests (including Joseph Byrne) and sixteen nuns. Quinn, together with his brother in Brisbane and his cousin in Maitland, were a powerful Irish trioka against the monasticism
of Archbishop Polding; crafting the rise of the Irish Catholic church in Australia. Although Quinn opposed the appointment of Vaughan
, another English Benedictine
, as co-adjutor archbishop of Sydney in 1872, it was his position of influence and the success of his schools that won him the support of Vaughan, other bishops, and the laity.
Quinn was widely renown for the establishment of a system of Catholic schools principally run by religious orders, including St Stanislaus' College
and the congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph, both in the Dicoese of Bathurst, and St. Charles Seminary and introduced the Vincentian Fathers
into Australia. Quinn was often at the forefront of battles with the colonial government
following the Public Instruction Act of 1880 which withdrew all government aid from denominational schools. Sectarian tensions intensified after the promulgation of the Public Schools Act of 1866, coinciding with the waning influence of English Benedictine Catholicism and the increasing influence of Quinn and other Irish prelates. In 1879, Quinn instructed one of his flock, Richard Kenna, to withdraw his son from Sydney Grammar School
. When Kenna refused, Quinn decided that he could neither take the sacraments nor be buried in consecrated ground. Prominent Irish Catholics in the town supported Quinn, including the Principal of St. Stanislaus' College, Dr Joseph Byrne, and store owner John Meagher. This has been described as 'the most notorious sectarian episode in the history of Bathurst'.
After the 1875 establishment of the Institute of St Joseph by Mary MacKillop
, following the 1877 death of Sr. Teresa MacDonald, the Provincial of Bathurst, Quinn would not allow another Provincial to be appointed that did not report to him. He instructed the Sisters to leave Bathurst as he refused to accept MacKillop's central government of the Institute, where she held the role of Superior General.
After a trip to Europe during 1883 and 1884, Quinn returned to Bathurst where he died at St. Stanislaus' College and was buried in Sts. Michael and John's Catheral, in Bathurst.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
{29 May 1821 in Eadestown
Eadestown
Eadestown is a small village in County Kildare, Ireland. It is situated on the R410 Regional Road south of Naas, between Naas and Blessington, County Wicklow.-Eadestown Parish:...
, Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
16 January 1885 in Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
, 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...
), an Australian suffragan bishop
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
, was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst is a Latin rite suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1865, covering the Central West and Orana regions of New South Wales, Australia...
, New South Wales. Dr Quinn was appointed to the role by Archbishop Polding in 1865 and served until his death in 1885.
Early years and background
The youngest son of Matthew Quinn, a farmer, and his wife, Mary, Quinn was educated in Dublin before entering the Propaganda CollegeCongregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and related activities...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1837, studying for the priesthood before transferring to the Pontifical Irish College
Pontifical Irish College
The Pontifical Irish College is a Roman Catholic seminary for the training and education of priests, in Rome.-Foundation and early history:Towards the close of the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII had sanctioned the foundation of an Irish college in Rome, and had assigned a large sum of money...
in 1839 where he graduated with a doctorate in sacred theology in 1845. Ordained a priest in 1847 in the Church of St John Lateran
Basilica of St. John Lateran
The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran , commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica and St. John Lateran's Basilica, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope...
in Rome, Quinn worked as a missionary in Hyderabad
Hyderabad District, India
Hyderabad District , is a district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India that contains a part of the metropolitan area of Hyderabad. It is headed by a district collector who is drawn from the IAS cadre and is appointed by the state government.-History:...
with Bishop Daniel Murphy for eight years; returning to Ireland and became vice-president of St Laurence O'Toole's Seminary, Dublin; where his brother James was President. Quinn succeeded as President in 1859 on James' appointment as Bishop of Queensland. For the next six years, Quinn supported James through the organisation of shiploads of Irish migrants to Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
Roman Catholic Bishop of Bathurst
Consecrated by Archbishop Cullen together with his cousin, James Murray, the 2nd Bishop of MaitlandRoman Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is a suffragan Latin rite diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1847, initially as the Diocese of Maitland, and then changed to the current name in 1995...
, Quinn arrived in Australia aboard Empress on 21 October 1866 with Murray, nine priests (including Joseph Byrne) and sixteen nuns. Quinn, together with his brother in Brisbane and his cousin in Maitland, were a powerful Irish trioka against the monasticism
Monasticism
Monasticism is a religious way of life characterized by the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote one's self to spiritual work...
of Archbishop Polding; crafting the rise of the Irish Catholic church in Australia. Although Quinn opposed the appointment of Vaughan
Roger Vaughan
Roger William Bede Vaughan was an English Benedictine monk of Downside Abbey, and the second Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney from 1877 to 1883.-Early life:...
, another English Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
, as co-adjutor archbishop of Sydney in 1872, it was his position of influence and the success of his schools that won him the support of Vaughan, other bishops, and the laity.
Quinn was widely renown for the establishment of a system of Catholic schools principally run by religious orders, including St Stanislaus' College
St Stanislaus College (Bathurst)
St Stanislaus' College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for boys, conducted by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul's priests and brothers...
and the congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph, both in the Dicoese of Bathurst, and St. Charles Seminary and introduced the Vincentian Fathers
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international Roman Catholic voluntary organization dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need. Active in England & Wales since 1844, today it continues to address social and material need in all...
into Australia. Quinn was often at the forefront of battles with the colonial government
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
following the Public Instruction Act of 1880 which withdrew all government aid from denominational schools. Sectarian tensions intensified after the promulgation of the Public Schools Act of 1866, coinciding with the waning influence of English Benedictine Catholicism and the increasing influence of Quinn and other Irish prelates. In 1879, Quinn instructed one of his flock, Richard Kenna, to withdraw his son from Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
. When Kenna refused, Quinn decided that he could neither take the sacraments nor be buried in consecrated ground. Prominent Irish Catholics in the town supported Quinn, including the Principal of St. Stanislaus' College, Dr Joseph Byrne, and store owner John Meagher. This has been described as 'the most notorious sectarian episode in the history of Bathurst'.
After the 1875 establishment of the Institute of St Joseph by Mary MacKillop
Mary MacKillop
Mary Helen MacKillop , also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, was an Australian Roman Catholic nun who, together with Father Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia with an emphasis on...
, following the 1877 death of Sr. Teresa MacDonald, the Provincial of Bathurst, Quinn would not allow another Provincial to be appointed that did not report to him. He instructed the Sisters to leave Bathurst as he refused to accept MacKillop's central government of the Institute, where she held the role of Superior General.
After a trip to Europe during 1883 and 1884, Quinn returned to Bathurst where he died at St. Stanislaus' College and was buried in Sts. Michael and John's Catheral, in Bathurst.