Josephine Laffin has written a very personal story of Archbishop Matthew Beovich. Many biographies of bishops here in Australia have been written by priests or by male professional historians. A young woman professional historian who meticulously researched her sources and interviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life has written this biography of Matthew Beovich. Josephine Laffin also had access to Matthew Beovich’s personal diary, which he kept from the time he left home to study for the priesthood at Propaganda College Rome, until his death in 1981. What a treasure for a biographer! It has resulted in a warm personal story.
Matthew Beovich’s appointment as Archbishop of Adelaide marked a significant change in the choice of bishops in Australia. Previously most of the bishops had been Irish, very few English and only one or two Australian. Matthew Beovich was Australian-born. His father came from Croatia and his mother was of Irish descent but born here in Australia.
He loved Rome, where he studied for the priesthood, and the church of Rome and the Holy Father. Following his ordination in Rome he returned to Australia. After a few months as assistant priest in St. Brigid’s, North Fitzroy, he was appointed Inspector of Religious Education in Catholic Schools for the Melbourne Archdiocese. Within a short period he was appointed Director of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. His work as Director coincided with a great increase in the Catholic Education System. He personally wrote new Catechisms and many of us would remember the companion to the Catechism. In addition he was asked by Archbishop Mannix to take over the Catholic Truth Society in 1925. By 1928, 358,000 Catholic Truth Society pamphlets were published and distributed throughout Australia.
The First Days
How would the Archbishop cope with his episcopal appointment to Adelaide? He had not been a parish priest. He had little experience of pastoral ministry. The new archbishop entered wholeheartedly into the life of the archdiocese. He met thousands of Catholic people. He entered into the civic life of his new State, meeting the Premier, the Governor and the heads of Christian Churches.
Some decisions made by the new Archbishop in the very early days in Adelaide stand out. He decided that he would be consecrated in his cathedral in Adelaide. Many bishops had been consecrated in their home dioceses before taking up their new appointments.
Archbishop Beovich decided that he would begin a systematic visitation of parishes, beginning with the country. Within three years he had visited all the parishes. He visited Italian prisoners of war who were detained in South Australia. At least 1500 detainees were working on South Australian farms and Archbishop Beovich visited all of them. He reported to the Apostolic Delegate, “on one occasion I visited for seven days, I travelled 843 miles visiting prisoners of war working on Australian farms”. This was typical of his pastoral instinct.
Despite stringent laws regarding the approval for new buildings during the war, and the lack of trained personnel to conduct a seminary, he opened one with 24 boys and young men in 1942.
In 1949, towards the end of his first ten years in Adelaide, Archbishop Beovich wrote in his diary ,”the seminary means everything to the diocese. Before it, there seemed to be few vocations. Since its foundation the future looks promising. Already we have 23 students for the Diocese in Philosophy and Theology. The first student (Faulkner) will be ordained to the priesthood in Rome on 1 January next.”
Laffin describes St. Francis Xavier Seminary as the focus of much life during the years of Archbishop Beovich. She tells us the story of the annual Marian Processions since 1949, live-in meetings of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, priests retreats and seminars – especially on the spirit and implementation of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, conferences on parish apostolate and meetings of the Lutheran/Roman Catholic Dialogue.
It is difficult for me to reflect on the enormous difference this humble beginning was to make to the life of our local Church. One of my own greatest sorrows as archbishop was to move the seminary to smaller buildings nearer to our Catholic Theological College. Then, after a few years, together with Bishop Peter de Campo, we made the decision to close the seminary and send our students interstate. The lack of vocations to the priesthood is something I have always found difficult to understand.
A Flourishing Diocese
The biographer writes that Matthew Beovich on his ad limina visit to Rome in 1960 was congratulated on his “flourishing diocese”. It is easy to see why Cardinal Agagianian (Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith) was so impressed.
The decade 1950 to 1960 had been one of growth in the Adelaide Church. The number of Catholics increased from 66,500 to 120,000, new parishes, churches and church schools had increased in numbers. The number of diocesan priests had grown from 75 to 95 and religious order priests from 46 to 79.
For Archbishop Beovich the success of his beloved St. Francis Xavier Seminary had resulted in the ordination of 34 young men who had begun their preparation for the priesthood at our seminary. During the previous decade there had been eight Australian men ordained for Adelaide. In 1950 more than half our priests were Irish and I had a good opportunity to see how much Archbishop Beovich appreciated them; they were his chief consultors during these years. At that time I was privileged to be assistant priest to Father Bill Russell at Woodville and I was able to observe the friendship between him and Archbishop Beovich.
Josephine Laffin describes the great influx of displaced persons from Eastern and Central Europe and later, migrants from Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and many other countries. By 1960, 20 migrant priests were serving in the Archdiocese as chaplains to these multi-cultural groups. I recall Archbishop Beovich, on his ad limina visit to Rome in 1950, when I was a student priest, asking me to keep my eyes open for suitable priests who might come to Australia to serve the migrant communities in our Archdiocese.
His understanding of these people from different countries and cultures was probably due to his own family (Croatian father) and the years he spent at Propaganda College with students from many of these countries, as well as his sensitive pastoral approach.
When I returned to Adelaide as coadjutor, and later as archbishop, it was a joy and privilege to be pastor to these people who had settled so well into our local Church.
Yes, it is true that Adelaide could be described as a flourishing diocese. Yet Josephine Laffin describes how this pastoral work affected Archbishop Beovich personally. By 1960 he was in his late 60’s and had been chief shepherd of the Adelaide Church for nearly 20 years. He was suffering from diverticulitis, which necessitated hospital treatment from time to time. After consultation with the Apostolic Delegate, Fr James Gleeson was appointed Auxiliary Bishop in January 1957 at the age of 36, in which role he continued until 1965 when he was appointed coadjutor with the right to succeed as archbishop.
The Second Vatican Council
Matthew Beovich took part in all four sessions of the Council. Initially, this was not a happy time for him, as he could not accept the strong opposition and criticism of some of the significant cardinals in the Roman Congregations. Also, he felt that so many issues were raised but very little was concluded. However, he entered fully into the other sessions, especially on the Church and the People of God, the Church in the World and the stirring teaching of the Council on Ecumenism, much of which he was already doing in Adelaide. He also appreciated the discussion on Episcopal collegiality and began to experience this amongst the Bishops assembled for the Council.
After each session of the Council the Archbishop gave a series of talks in the Cathedral. The Diocesan Life Campaign in 1966 was on Community Spirit in the Parish. It is estimated that 10,000 took part. The Decree on the Lay Apostolate was taken seriously and the Archbishop appointed me to help establish the Lay Apostolate Liaison Committee (LALC) to spread the message of the Vatican Council and to co-ordinate the life of the various lay organisations. A further aim of LALC was to prepare for the establishment of a diocesan pastoral council. After I left for Townsville in 1967 it was a joy to hear that this had its first meeting in 1968 – one of the first to be established in Australia.
There were many seminars for priests – particularly on the liturgy and the church – and the religious sisters and brothers took up the message of the Council. The Senate of Priests met for the first time on 29 June 1967. The biographer calls Archbishop Matthew Beovich “very much a Vatican II Bishop”.
Personal Reflections
I conclude these reflections with a few personal memories of Archbishop Matthew Beovich. The day after his episcopal consecration, children from Catholic Schools welcomed the new Archbishop with a concert in the Tivoli Theatre. As a 13 year-old, together with other boys from Sacred Heart College, I recited, “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and “Hist, Hark, the Night is Dark”, with appropriate banging and lights and darkness. From then on, he was my archbishop. Two years later I was enrolled as one of the 24 initial students at St Francis Xavier Seminary. Later, during my years at Werribee, I always made an appointment to see the Archbishop when I was home on summer holidays.
He was always kind and interested in what the Jesuits were teaching me! When he arranged for me to go to Propaganda College, Rome, at the age of 19, we discussed at length the studies I had done and what was in store for me in Rome. Archbishop Beovich asked me, “Mr. Faulkner, do you take alcoholic drink?” I replied, “No, Your Grace, I am member of the Total Abstinence Society”. He replied, very definitely, “Not any more you’re not. In Rome you will drink the wine provided”. I managed. During my years in preparation for the priesthood he made sure that my parents had no responsibility for any expense. He was aware that I was the eldest of 10 children, most of whom were still at school. All the family appreciated his consideration.
One day visiting my parish, he asked me the fatal question: “Father Faulkner, how is your health?” When I replied that it was very good, he said that he “wanted me to look after the YCW Movement – Father Mick Dunn will tell you about the work”. It was to be Diocesan Chaplain to the Young Christian Workers, National Catholic Girls Movement, Catholic Young Mens’ Society and to look after the Pre-Cana courses whilst still assistant priest in the Woodville parish and later as administrator of the Cathedral. I always felt Archbishop Beovich’s gentle support in my work as assistant priest and as Administrator of the Cathedral parish and especially in my work with youth.
When I was appointed to Townsville in 1967 I had no hesitation in inviting Archbishop Beovich to come to Townsville to consecrate me a Bishop. Despite his failing health he readily came and impressed all by his evident pastoral approach to the liturgy and the fullness of the priesthood.
Archbishop Matthew Beovich had the great gift of pastoral love, a good shepherd to his people and I learned so much from him about being a bishop. In his golden years, he was generously cared for by Archbishop James Gleeson.
Archbishop Leonard Faulkner, Adelaide
Matthew Beovich: a biography
Josephine Laffin
382 page paperback
Publisher: Wakefield Press, Australia
First published January 2008
