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Archdeacon John McEncroe
1794-1868
 John McEncroe was born on 26 December 1794 in Ardsallagh, near Cashel, County
Tipperary, Ireland, the son of William McEncroe and Mary D’Arcy. Two
years later his father was killed in an accident. He was educated at Flynn’s
Grammar School. Wishing to become a priest he entered the seminary of Maynooth
and was ordained in 1819.
In 1832, Father McEncroe became the official chaplain of the Catholics of
Australia. During his first ten years in the colony McEncroe spent much of
his time and
energy caring for convicts with whom he had considerable influence. He volunteered
for Norfolk Island where he was chaplain from 1838 to 1842. Towards the end
of his chaplaincy his concern for the convicts increased; he was strenuously
opposed to the entire system of transportation because it failed to reform
the convict and brought social and political evils to the colony.
In Sydney, McEncroe was a familiar figure on the public platform. In his
forthright, racy style he advocated the rights of workers and opposed the
demands of the
squatters on such issues as the Constitution, the revival of transportation,
and land policy. He was a prominent member of benevolent societies, whether
religious or secular, and a pioneer and apostle of the temperance movement.
For many years the direction of Catholic education was his responsibility.
His most valuable contribution in this field was the introduction of
the Sisters of Mercy and the Marist Brothers into his parish schools.
Within the church in Australia he wanted more priests and teaching orders,
and above all the creation of new sees under Irish bishops. He established
a Catholic newspaper, the Freeman’s Journal, in 1850. A recovered alcoholic,
McEncroe died on 22 August 1868 at St Patrick’s, Church Hill, where he
had been parish priest since 1861.
Return to Significant Early
Pioneers in the Church in Sydney
Significant Pioneers in the Archdiocese
of Sydney
(Main page)
See also: A timeline of Catholicism
in Sydney
| Foundation dates of Sydney Parishes
The Previous Archbishops of the Archdiocese of Sydney
The Predecessor Auxiliary and Co-adjutor Archbishops
of the Archdiocese of Sydney
- Charles Henry Davis OSB, 1848-1854. Also
Titular Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle.
- Joseph Higgins, 1889. (Appointed Bishop
of Rockhampton 1889).
- Michael Sheehan, Co-adjutor Archbishop
1922-1937.
- Eris Norman Michael O'Brien, 1948-1953.
(Appointed Bishop of Canberra-Goulburn 1953.)
- Patrick Francis Lyons, 1950-1956. (Appointed
Co-adjutor Bishop Sale 1956. Bishop 1957-1967.)
- James Patrick Carroll, 1954-1965.
Retired 1984. Died 1995.
- James Darcy Cardinal Freeman, 1957-1969
- Thomas William Muldoon, 1960-1986.
- Edward Francis Kelly MSC, 1969-1975.
(Appointed Bishop
of Toowoomba 1975.)
- Edward Bede Cardinal Clancy AC, 1973-1978.
(Appointed Archbishop
of Canberra-Goulburn, 1978-1983.)
- Patrick Laurence Murphy,
1977-1986. (Appointed Bishop
of Broken Bay 1986. Retired)
- Bede Vincent Heather,
1979-1986. (Appointed Bishop
of Parramatta 1986. Retired)
- John Edward Heaps, 1981-1992.
Retired 1992. Died 2004.
- Peter William Ingham, 1993-2001. (Appointed
Bishop of
Wollongong 2001.)
- Geoffrey James Robinson,
1984-2004. Retired.
- David Cremin, 1974-2005. Retired.
See also:
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