John Aloysius Morgan

John Aloysius Morgan, AO RFD ED (9 October 1909 – 21 May 2008) was an Australian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Most Reverend

John Morgan

AO, RFD, ED
Bishop of the Australian Defence Force
SeeTitular bishop of Membressa
Installed28 April 1969
Term ended15 July 2003
PredecessorThomas McCabe
SuccessorGeoffrey Francis Mayne
Other postsMilitary Vicar of the Australian Defence Force
Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn
Orders
Ordination15 July 1934
Consecration28 April 1969
Personal details
Born(1909-10-09)9 October 1909
Melbourne, Australia
Died21 May 2008(2008-05-21) (aged 98)
Canberra, Australia

Early life

Morgan was born in Keilor on the outskirts of Melbourne, Victoria, where his father Patrick owned and operated a farm. He attended St Columbas Primary School in Essendon before moving on to St Joseph's Christian Brothers College in North Melbourne in 1917 and again from 1920 to 1926, finally completing his secondary schooling at St. Kevins. He and his brother Frank traveled to school each day by horse and buggy. While at school he was considered a very good high jumper and champion handball player and retained a love of sport, and in particular, Australian rules football, throughout his life.

Religious life

He was ordained a priest on 15 July 1934 for the Archdiocese of Melbourne. During the Second World War he served as a Chaplain with the Second Australian Imperial Force in Papua New Guinea from 1942 to 1945. He later recalled that his experiences there were a formative part of his spiritual and personal life.[1] He remained an Army Chaplain until 1981 when he stepped down as the Army's Chaplain General. While in Melbourne he was placed in charge of various parishes including, in 1953, St James' parish in Richmond.[2]

Morgan was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn as well as Titular Bishop of Membressa on 6 March 1969. He was ordained bishop on 28 April 1969. He was appointed on 29 May 1969 to the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of Australia where he would remain until of 2 January 1985, as well as the auxiliary bishop of the Canberra and Goulburn archdiocese.

Later life
Bishop Morgan, 2003

In 2003 he concelebrated Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne to mark the centenary of his old school, St Joseph's CBC North Melbourne. As he had done with the soldiers in New Guinea, he retained strong pastoral feelings for his flock, the residents in the center where he lived, celebrating Mass daily and speaking with them whenever possible.[3]

Morgan held the following honours: Officer of the Order of Australia (1976), Reserve Force Decoration and the Efficiency Decoration. He died on 21 May 2008 aged 98.

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See also

References
  1. Downie, Graham. "Wartime Chaplain who saw his role as serving anyone in need", theage.com.au; retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. Review of St. Joseph's Christian Brothers' College North Melbourne, Golden Jubilee 1953. St Josephs, North Melbourne.
  3. Bishop John Aloysius Morgan funeral details Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, cg.catholic.org.au, 29 May 2008; retrieved 6 May 2014.
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