Norman Gilroy | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Sydney | |
.jpg) Gilroy in 1946 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Sydney |
| See | Sydney |
| Appointed | 8 March 1940 |
| Term ended | 9 July 1971 |
| Predecessor | Michael Kelly |
| Successor | James Darcy Freeman |
| Other posts | Cardinal-Priest of Santi Quattro Coronati (1946–71) President of the Australian Episcopal Conference (1958–71) |
| Previous posts | Bishop of Port Augusta (1934–1937) Titular Archbishop of Cypsela (1937–1940) Coadjutor Archbishop of Sydney (1937–1940) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 24 December 1923 by Willem Marinus van Rossum |
| Consecration | 17 March 1935 by Filippo Bernardini |
| Created cardinal | 18 February 1946 byPope Pius XII |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Norman Thomas Gilroy (1896-01-22)22 January 1896 |
| Died | 21 October 1977(1977-10-21) (aged 81) Lewisham, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Buried | St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Denomination | Catholic (Roman Rite) |
| Education | Marist Brothers' College |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Urbaniana University |
| Motto | Christus lux mea |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Norman Gilroy | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Sydney |
Sir Norman Thomas GilroyKBE (22 January 1896 – 21 October 1977) was an Australianbishop. He was the first Australian-borncardinal of theRoman Catholic Church.
Gilroy was born in Sydney to working-class parents of Irish descent. Educated at theMarist Brothers' College in the Sydney suburb ofKogarah, he left school when 13 years old to work as a messenger boy in what was then thePostmaster-General's Department. In 1914, his parents refused permission for him to enlist in theAustralian Army, but he was allowed to volunteer for the transport service as a telegraphist. He left Australia in February 1915 and served in theGallipoli campaign of World War I in 1915 as a naval wireless operator on theHessen off Gallipoli and Imbros.[1][2]
After his return to Australia in August 1915,[2] he was ordered to resume his work as a telegraphist for the postal service. He expressed an interest in becoming a priest and began his studies at St Columba'sSpringwood in 1917 and continued from 1919 at theUrban College in Rome. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lismore[3] on 24 December 1923 at theBasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome by ArchbishopFilippo BernardiniC.Ss.R. He received his doctorate in divinity in Rome the following year.
Returning to Australia in 1924, Gilroy was appointed to the staff of theapostolic delegation in Sydney, which in that year received as its new head, ArchbishopBartolomeo Cattaneo, who favoured the appointment of Australian-born priests as bishops in Australia. After six years in this post, Gilroy returned toLismore, becoming chancellor and secretary of the bishop.[1]
In December 1934, he was appointedBishop of Port Augusta,South Australia, gaining an experience in dealing with pastoral problems that was to serve him well in his later position.[1] He received episcopal consecration on St Patrick's Day 1935 with ArchbishopFilippo Bernardini as principal consecrator.[3]
In 1937, he became Coadjutor Archbishop of Sydney and Titular Archbishop of Argyranthemum. On the death of ArchbishopMichael Kelly, Gilroy succeeded to the Archdiocese of Sydney on 18 March 1940.
Gilroy was created a cardinal byPope Pius XII on 18 February 1946, and was assigned the title of cardinal-priest ofSanti Quattro Coronati, becoming the first Australian-born member of theCollege of Cardinals.[4]
On 11 January 1953 he laid the cornerstone of theNational Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help,Philippines.
He participated in thepapal conclave of 1958 which electedPope John XXIII, and in thepapal conclave of 1963 which electedPope Paul VI.
Gilroy was knighted in 1969. He was the first Roman Catholic cardinal to receive a knighthood since theEnglish Reformation.[4] He was namedAustralian of the Year in 1970.[4] He resigned as Archbishop of Sydney in July 1971 and died in Sydney in 1977, aged 81. He was succeeded byJames Darcy Freeman.
As archbishop, Gilroy enforced strict discipline in accordance with theCode of Canon Law on his clergy, who had grown lax under the elderly Kelly. In so doing, he acquired a reputation of an "iron man". He always maintained his exacting standards but showed compassion for those who failed to meet them.[1]
Much of his energy was devoted to providing churches and schools for his flock. By 1971, he had 366 schools with 115,704 pupils, staffed by 751 religious brothers and 2,992 nuns as well as lay teachers. He was unable to bring to concrete realisation his plan to establish a Catholic university but was to some extent successful in his project to found a faculty of theology atManly.[1]
The 1954 split of theAustralian Labor Party saw a marked difference of opinion between Gilroy and ArchbishopDaniel Mannix of Melbourne, who backedB. A. Santamaria's "Movement" (the episcopally-sponsored Catholic Social Studies Movement). Gilroy avoided direct political comment and believed that the church should not become involved in politics. However, like most other Sydney Irish Roman Catholics, he had grown up as a supporter of the Labor Party. Moreover, he was a confidant of the Roman Catholic LaborPremier of New South WalesJoseph Cahill. He firmly opposed Santamaria's activities and banned the distribution of his movement's literature in Sydney churches. As a result of the close relationship between Gilroy and Cahill, there was no split in the New South Wales Labor Party, as there had been in Victoria and Queensland.
In 2017, the first extended biography of Gilroy was published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the cardinal's death.[5] The author, John Luttrell, has been praised for his "fresh research ... and a genuine portrait of the man who rose from postal clerk to prince of the Church."[6][7]
Gilroy College, a Year 7–12 high school in north-western Sydney named after him opened in 1980. The college took Gilroy's personal motto, "Christ is my light", as the official school motto. Gilroy College celebrated its 25th anniversary as a school community in 2004.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by | 5thBishop of Port Augusta 1934–1937 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | 5thCatholic Archbishop of Sydney 1940–1971 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Cardinal-Priest ofSanti Quattro Coronati 1946–1977 | Succeeded by |
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