McDonald brothers (priests)
Encyclopedia
The brothers James McDonald (1824–1890) and Walter McDonald (1830–1899) were Catholic missionary priests and ecclesiatical administrators in early Auckland
.
, County Kilkenny, Ireland
, James on 10 August 1824, Walter on 14 December 1830. Their parents were Richard McDonald, farmer, and his wife, Ellen Keefe. The two brothers trained for the priesthood at All Hallows College
, Dublin. James was ordained there in 1851 and Walter was ordained in Auckland
, New Zealand
, on 9 March 1856 by Bishop Jean Baptiste Pompallier of Auckland
.
to Wellington
. The arrival of the two brothers was most welcome to Pompallier and they became his loyal lieutenants in this work, and also his close friends. After his arrival on 9 March 1852 James was given charge of St Mary's, North Shore, where there was a school for Māori, a seminary and a farm. It was there that he started his lifelong association with Māori. In 1853 he was appointed Vicar General
, and while remaining in general charge of the seminary and boys' school (both removed to Freeman's Bay in 1853), he also travelled extensively in the Auckland diocese (virtually coterminous with the Auckland province). For 16 years he represented a bishop who was more than 20 years older, heavy in body and afflicted with arthritis. Among other tasks, for some 18 months in 1859–60 he took charge of the diocese during Pompallier's absence overseas, and in 1865 he became inspector of Catholic schools. From the mid 1860s he also became more closely involved in mission work among Māori. Walter, who came to Auckland as a deacon in 1855, was private secretary to the bishop from 1856 to 1869. He learned to speak Māori
, as had his brother, and was able to visit both Māori and Pākehā
areas on the bishop's behalf. For three years he was responsible for the Bay of Islands
and the east coast of Northland
, travelling by sea from Auckland at regular intervals. In the early 1860s he looked after the area from North Shore to Puhoi
.
after Pompallier's departure in 1868, was appointed parish priest at Drury
, and in 1871 Walter was made administrator of St Patrick's Cathedral
, that is, parish priest of Auckland city. Both brothers proceeded to become legends, displaying even more flair for parish than for administrative work. As well as giving pastoral care to the settlers of the Drury district, James travelled long distances from his hut at Ramarama
to visit the Māori districts not only in his parish, which extended from Papakura
to Drury and from the Tasman Sea
to the Hauraki Gulf
, but also throughout the entire Auckland diocese
.
remarked, "His people love him"; in 1880 Archbishop Walter Steins
relieved him of responsibility for Drury and put him in charge of all the Māori in the diocese; by 1883 Bishop J. E. Luck
had appointed him Vicar General for the Māori in the diocese.
to take over the Maori missions, James opposed the move. In 1887 he was given the missions north of Auckland and the Mill Hill fathers those south of Auckland. He went to live at Hokianga
. In 1886 Bishop Luck appointed Walter papal chamberlain
(carrying the title of monsignor
) and shifted him to the parish of Panmure
, amid furious protests from the general public: in his position at the cathedral Father Walter had become immensely popular with the people of Auckland – Catholics and non-Catholics, adults and children, respectable and not so respectable. But he had become rather too much of a public figure for the liking of Bishop Luck. Luck may also have suspected him of collusion with James in resisting the advent of the Mill Hill fathers. At Panmure, however, Walter's popularity continued to grow; he became chaplain to Ellerslie Racecourse
and even clerk of the course for a time.
".
Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland
The Latin Rite Catholic Diocese of Auckland is one of the two original dioceses in New Zealand. Although formally a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Wellington, both were erected on 20 June 1848...
.
Early life
The brothers were born in the townland of Nicholastown, Mooncoin parishMooncoin
Mooncoin is a town situated in the far south of County Kilkenny, in Ireland, just 10 km from Waterford City on the main Waterford to Limerick road...
, County Kilkenny, Ireland
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, James on 10 August 1824, Walter on 14 December 1830. Their parents were Richard McDonald, farmer, and his wife, Ellen Keefe. The two brothers trained for the priesthood at All Hallows College
All Hallows College
All Hallows College is a Roman Catholic college located in Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland. All Hallows is one of six linked colleges of Dublin City University, meaning that the college's degrees are validated and accredited by the university.-History:...
, Dublin. James was ordained there in 1851 and Walter was ordained in Auckland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland
The Latin Rite Catholic Diocese of Auckland is one of the two original dioceses in New Zealand. Although formally a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Wellington, both were erected on 20 June 1848...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, on 9 March 1856 by Bishop Jean Baptiste Pompallier of Auckland
Jean Baptiste Pompallier
Jean Baptiste François Pompallier was the first vicar apostolic to visit New Zealand. He was born in Lyon, France. He became the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland.-Appointment and voyage:...
.
Auckland administration
When the McDonalds came to Auckland, Pompallier was in the process of establishing his diocese after the removal of the Marist fathersSociety of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
to Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. The arrival of the two brothers was most welcome to Pompallier and they became his loyal lieutenants in this work, and also his close friends. After his arrival on 9 March 1852 James was given charge of St Mary's, North Shore, where there was a school for Māori, a seminary and a farm. It was there that he started his lifelong association with Māori. In 1853 he was appointed Vicar General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
, and while remaining in general charge of the seminary and boys' school (both removed to Freeman's Bay in 1853), he also travelled extensively in the Auckland diocese (virtually coterminous with the Auckland province). For 16 years he represented a bishop who was more than 20 years older, heavy in body and afflicted with arthritis. Among other tasks, for some 18 months in 1859–60 he took charge of the diocese during Pompallier's absence overseas, and in 1865 he became inspector of Catholic schools. From the mid 1860s he also became more closely involved in mission work among Māori. Walter, who came to Auckland as a deacon in 1855, was private secretary to the bishop from 1856 to 1869. He learned to speak Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
, as had his brother, and was able to visit both Māori and Pākehā
Pakeha
Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
areas on the bishop's behalf. For three years he was responsible for the Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country....
and the east coast of Northland
Northland
Northland may refer to:Places:* Northland , an electoral district in New Zealand* Northland, Wellington, a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand...
, travelling by sea from Auckland at regular intervals. In the early 1860s he looked after the area from North Shore to Puhoi
Puhoi
Puhoi is a settlement located approximately 50 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. Puhoi is probably a Maori word which may be translated as "Slow water"....
.
Parishes and missions
With the resignation of Pompallier in 1869 and the questions that arose concerning his diocesan administration, it was almost inevitable that the two brothers who had been so closely connected with him should now be removed. In 1869 James, who had become Apostolic AdministratorApostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
after Pompallier's departure in 1868, was appointed parish priest at Drury
Drury
Drury can refer to several things:*Drury, New Zealand*Drury, Flintshire, UK*Drury University, formerly Drury College, Springfield, Missouri*Drury Hotels operator of Drury Inns*Drury Lane, a famous street in the Westend of London...
, and in 1871 Walter was made administrator of St Patrick's Cathedral
St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland
The Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph is the Cathedral of the Catholic Bishop of Auckland.-Origins:...
, that is, parish priest of Auckland city. Both brothers proceeded to become legends, displaying even more flair for parish than for administrative work. As well as giving pastoral care to the settlers of the Drury district, James travelled long distances from his hut at Ramarama
Ramarama
Ramarama is a small community at the far south of the Auckland Region in New Zealand's North Island, located just to the north of the Bombay Hills ....
to visit the Māori districts not only in his parish, which extended from Papakura
Papakura
The Papakura District was the name of a local council territory in New Zealand's Auckland Region that existed from 1989 until 2010. The area made up the southernmost part of the Auckland metropolitan area....
to Drury and from the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
to the Hauraki Gulf
Hauraki Gulf
The Hauraki Gulf is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has a total area of 4000 km², and lies between the Auckland Region, the Hauraki Plains, the Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island...
, but also throughout the entire Auckland diocese
Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland
The Latin Rite Catholic Diocese of Auckland is one of the two original dioceses in New Zealand. Although formally a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Wellington, both were erected on 20 June 1848...
.
James and Māori
Wherever James went, he baptised, married, celebrated Mass but above all brought the comforts of a priest's presence to Māori Catholics almost totally neglected by other priests in the aftermath of the wars of the 1860s. The Māori found in Maketenara (as James was called by them) a man who loved them, and they returned his love along with a growing reverence which gradually elevated him in their eyes to the status of a prophet. James's growing stature was recognised by Auckland's bishops: Bishop T. W. CrokeThomas Croke
Thomas William Croke D.D. was the second Catholic Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand and later Archbishop of Cashel and Emly in Ireland...
remarked, "His people love him"; in 1880 Archbishop Walter Steins
Walter Steins
Walter Hermanus Jacobus Steins SJ was a Dutch Jesuit priest, Vicar Apostolic of Bombay, India , Vicar Apostolic of West Bengal and , third Catholic Bishop of Auckland ....
relieved him of responsibility for Drury and put him in charge of all the Māori in the diocese; by 1883 Bishop J. E. Luck
John Edmund Luck
John Edmund Luck OSB was the fourth Catholic Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand .-Early life:Luck was born in Peckham, Surrey, England, on 18 March 1840, one of seven children of Alfred Luck, a warehouseman, and his wife, Clementina Golding. Theirs was a profoundly religious household...
had appointed him Vicar General for the Māori in the diocese.
Bishop Luck
But the arrival of Bishop Luck also brought changes of direction for both brothers. At base there is thought to have been a lack of empathy between the English bishop and the Irish priests. When Luck began to negotiate with the Mill Hill fathersMill Hill Missionaries
Mill Hill Missionaries is a society of Catholic missionaries founded in 1866.-External links:* * * http://www.vocationsireland.com/missionpriests/millhill.html...
to take over the Maori missions, James opposed the move. In 1887 he was given the missions north of Auckland and the Mill Hill fathers those south of Auckland. He went to live at Hokianga
Hokianga
Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as The Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand....
. In 1886 Bishop Luck appointed Walter papal chamberlain
Papal chamberlain
Papal chamberlain was one of the highest honours that could be bestowed on a Catholic layman by the Pope, and was often given to members of noble families. It was mostly an honorary position, but a chamberlain served the Pope for one week per year during official ceremonies...
(carrying the title of monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
) and shifted him to the parish of Panmure
Panmure
Panmure may refer to:Places*Panmure, New Zealand, a suburb of Auckland*Panmure , a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate*Panmure, Victoria, Australia*Panmure Island, Prince Edward Island, Canada...
, amid furious protests from the general public: in his position at the cathedral Father Walter had become immensely popular with the people of Auckland – Catholics and non-Catholics, adults and children, respectable and not so respectable. But he had become rather too much of a public figure for the liking of Bishop Luck. Luck may also have suspected him of collusion with James in resisting the advent of the Mill Hill fathers. At Panmure, however, Walter's popularity continued to grow; he became chaplain to Ellerslie Racecourse
Ellerslie Racecourse
Ellerslie Racecourse is the main racecourse in Ellerslie, Auckland, New Zealand for thoroughbred racehorses. It is an undulating, grass circuit of approximately 1,900 m.-History:The first race meeting was held at Ellerslie on 25 May 1874...
and even clerk of the course for a time.
Deaths
After some 40-odd years of service in the diocese both brothers died in the 1890s – James at Purakau in Hokianga on 6 July 1890, Walter on 31 December 1899 in Auckland. James, who had been the bridge between the pre-war Catholic Maori missions and the Mill Hill fathers who resumed this work in the 1880s, was buried beside his brother's parish church in Panmure. Walter was also buried there, after a funeral procession which had started from St Patrick's in the city and which was reported to be one of the largest Auckland had ever seen.Qualities
"Probably no other New Zealand priest has even equaled either of the McDonalds in their capacity to generate loyal affection from their people. And no other priest ever gave such loyal affection to Bishop PompallierJean Baptiste Pompallier
Jean Baptiste François Pompallier was the first vicar apostolic to visit New Zealand. He was born in Lyon, France. He became the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland.-Appointment and voyage:...
".