After the death of the Bishop [Murphy], the diocese was administered by the Vicar General, Father Ryan… [He] was well acquainted with the staunch old Catholics most of them Scotch – in the Penola district. [1]

Mr Cameron was the squatter who owned Penola Station and gave the land on which the church was built… The rich squatters could educate their families without much difficulty, but the poorer classes who were employed by them, and the trades people who began to settle around, were unable to procure teachers for their children.[2]

The zealous pastor [Father Julian Tenison Woods] made many attempts to get instructors. [3]

Dr Geoghegan, Vicar General of Melbourne, succeeded Dr Murphy… The new Bishop ‘took possession of his See on the Feast of All Saints, and ‘commenced a crusade for Catholic Education,’ says Cardinal Moran.  This gave great satisfaction to Father Woods… The first Bishop of Adelaide had rejected state aid to Religion; the second determined if possible to obtain the abolition of state aid to any school.  Let everyone support his own school, then there would be no necessity for an Education Grant… [4]

The Bishop visited [the South East] in June… [He] gave a short Mission, and spoke of the necessity of Catholic Schools at every place he visited… greatly to the satisfaction of Father Woods… [5]

The memory of Father Woods seems embalmed in the district.  During the ten years he attended it, his advice was sought by people of all classes, and his correspondence became very large.  Whoever wrote to him was sure of a courteous reply.  Many letters are still in existence on various subjects, and all charming reading.  What a many-sided mind the man must have had. [6]

In all his labours and troubles, however, he still found time for his scientific pursuits… Before he was removed from Penola, he had become Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Fellow of the Geological Society, of the Linnean Society, of the Royal Society of Victoria, Honorary Member of several Institutes and President of one.  He humorously said he had an alphabet after his name… [7]

Visitors to Penola were delighted with the many specimens of stone he possessed, as well as with his beautiful garden where choice and rare shrubs flourished around the stone church of St Joseph.  These beautiful plants and trees had been brought many a mile and much care was bestowed on them… [8]

The Education Question had always been a source of anxiety, a cause of contention in every part of Australia.  Bishop Murphy struggled hard (as did each Bishop in his turn) to secure education for the Catholic children.  At one time, his Lordship thought he would try to get a few Sisters of Mercy for Adelaide, but there was no money available to send to Europe… [9]

On the Feast of All Saints in the same year, the first ‘Pastoral Address of the Archbishop and Bishops of Australia’ was published. (The Synod was held in October.) The Pastoral contained these words:

For reasons obvious to every well-instructed Catholic, we must have for our children Catholic schools, Catholic teachers, and, as far as we can supply them, Catholic books.  Catholics must secure for their children above all things a religious education…Their children must, in school, breathe a Catholic atmosphere. [10]

What pleasure this pastoral gave earnest Catholics may be easily imagined; it must have given great encouragement to the priests. [11]

This extract is taken from:

Chapters 9th, 10th and 11th of Julian Tenison Woods: A Life has been used with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Sisters of Saint Joseph 1997 and the publishers, St Paul’s Publications.

If you would like to read the full text, including an informative Introduction, footnotes and an index, this book is available online and from some Mary MacKillop Centres.

For locations and contact details visit the Josephite Books webpage.

Carmel Jones rsj

On 7^th January 1857, Mr Woods was ordained priest by Bishop Murphy in St Patrick’s Church, West Terrace, Adelaide, S.A.

Before the month was ended, the Bishop decided to give the young priest a very important duty – the establishment of a permanent Catholic Mission in the South Eastern portion of South Australia – appointing him to the charge of a district that included an area of over 22,000 square miles.  He was to be the only Catholic priest in that wide expanse of country, which is included between the River Murray on the North and West, the boundary of Victoria on the East, and the Southern Ocean.

His residence and headquarters were to be at Penola, the most central spot in the large district over which he was placed; and in turn, he would visit Mount Gambier, Robe (or Guichen Bay), &c.

It was a serious undertaking [in] the first month of his priesthood, and must be considered a mark of the great confidence his Bishop reposed in him; and which events proved was not misplaced…

With the blessing of the Bishop and the best wishes of all who knew him, Father Woods left Adelaide in Lent, and after a stormy passage arrived at Guichen Bay…

The good people of Penola gave their new pastor a warm welcome…

[Bishop Murphy] advised Father Woods to set about getting a new church instead of ‘patching up an old house’… Father Woods … set about carrying into execution the Bishop’s wishes, the generous people of the district supplying the means… But it was some months before the building could be arranged for, or masons be ready to commence their work.  However, the zealous priest found plenty of occupation.  One who knew him well says: ‘He was almost constantly in the saddle, riding from place to place, holding missions, visiting the sick and administering the Sacraments.’…

In some of his long journeys to and from various parts of his extensive mission, Father Woods took time to examine the physical features of the country. In his first half year in the South East, as the district was called, he published several scientific papers, which were read with great interest and attracted considerable attention towards the quiet young priest in his distant bush home.  How he could attend to so many different things and do each well was a wonder…

While busy at his scientific papers, if a sick call came for Father Woods, everything else was forgotten. In a very few minutes, his horse was ready, and he was off with the least possible delay.

He was soon acquainted with everyone in his vast district, and he never failed to make friends by his gentle winning manner. Besides attending to the spiritual wants of the patients for whom he had come, he often assisted in their temporal necessities.  As he spent very little on himself, he was able and always willing to bestow something on the indigent, often indeed to such an extent as to leave himself for a while in very straitened circumstances.  His cheerful disposition made light of inconveniences.

Having spent a night on the Plains, with his saddle for pillow, he wrote: ‘If anyone wants to know what the Egyptians must have suffered, let him go to Australia – it does not matter much where, for the Australian mosquito defies any attempt at sleep – on land.’

This extract is taken from:

Chapters 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th of Julian Tenison Woods: A Life has been used with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Sisters of Saint Joseph 1997 and the publishers, St Paul’s Publications.

If you would like to read the full text, including an informative Introduction, footnotes and an index, this book is available online and from some Mary MacKillop Centres.

For locations and contact details visit the Josephite Books webpage.

Carmel Jones rsj

…Julian – after staying a short while in Victoria – went to Adelaide to join his brother, Mr J.D. Woods, who says ‘A few weeks rest was quite sufficient to satiate a man of energetic habits like Julian, so he accepted an engagement as sub-Editor and reporter on the “Adelaide Times”… His pen pictures were always pleasant reading, whether he compelled attention by graphic description, made one laugh by the charm of his wit and keen sense of the comic, or shed tears over the sympathetic.  But the old yearning towards the church asserted itself anew…

Not succeeding in finding another opportunity of entering religion and being weary of ‘Hope deferred, that maketh the heart sick’ Julian sought some relaxation in society.  He was young, good-looking and very attractive; more than one fair lady bestowed upon him approving glances and many a pleasant hour was spent in music and singing among those who delighted in his company…

In conversation, someone mentioned him, stating that he intended returning to England to re-enter the Passionist Order.

‘Oh no,’ said another, ‘he will soon forget those fancies.  What does a fine young fellow like him want going about bare-footed? He should get married – there is Miss Z… breaking her heart about him.’ …

Some of the remarks at last reached the subject of them.  A tempter whispered, ‘Why not settle down?  You could do so much good here….it will do no harm to address the lady – you know she likes you.’

He certainly knew he was not disagreeable to her; and as he was invited to spend an evening at her home, some distance from the city, he determined he would on that occasion decide the important matter.

When the appointed evening came, it brought a grand thunderstorm: heavy rain deluged the streets and made going out an impossibility. After waiting a considerable time for the rain to cease, the thought occurred to the young man – ‘It is not the will of God for me to go there.’  When too late to attempt going, the storm cleared away and a beautiful night set in… ‘I will pay a visit to the church,’ said Julian… kneeling before the altar he prayed for help and light, and at last arose comforted… this was the turning point of his life…

The Bishop, the saintly Dr Murphy, saw him…He came forward and spoke. In a conversation that followed, Julian placed entire confidence in the Bishop who advised him to give up the idea of the religious life at present and retire to the Jesuit College at Sevenhill near Clare to finish his studies preparatory to his ordination as a secular priest.  This he did, though not without a pang, for the religious life was his special attraction…

His departure from Adelaide caused no small surprise to his friends and Miss Z… had the satisfaction of knowing that no human being was preferred to her.

This extract is taken from:

Chapter 4th of Julian Tenison Woods: A Life has been used with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Sisters of Saint Joseph 1997 and the publishers, St Paul’s Publications.

If you would like to read the full text, including an informative Introduction, footnotes and an index, this book is available online and from some Mary MacKillop Centres.

For locations and contact details visit the Josephite Books webpage.

Carmel Jones rsj