Laurence Bonaventure Sheil OFM (24 December 1815 – 1 March 1872) was an Irish Franciscan friar, who served as the third Roman CatholicBishop of Adelaide. Born in Ireland, he was educated at St Peter's College, Wexford, and at the Franciscan College of St Isidore, Rome, Sheil was sent to the British Colony of New South Wales in Australia after being ordained a priest. There, he served as an educator and administrator, before poor health saw him move to Ballarat as archdeacon.
In 1866, Sheil became the third Bishop of Adelaide. His reign was characterised by poor administration, with his extensive absence from the diocese contributing to severe factionalism within the clergy. Sheil's mismanagement culminated in his excommunication of Mary MacKillop,[1] who later became Australia's first saint.[2] He died in March 1872, rescinding his excommunication of MacKillop on his deathbed.
Sheil was born on 24 December 1815 in Wexford, Ireland. From 1832, he attended the Franciscan College of St Isidore in Rome, where he taught after he was ordained in 1839. After serving as guardian of the convents of St Francis at Cork and Carrickbeg, Sheil travelled to Melbourne, Australia, arriving on 12 February 1853. There, he served as the secretary and manager of the Victorian Catholic education board, and taught at a Melbourne seminary. Sheil's failing health saw him moved to Ballarat in 1859, where he became archdeacon. In 1866 he was chosen to replace Patrick Geoghegan as Bishop of Adelaide.[1]
Episcopacy
After being consecrated on 15 August 1866 by the Bishop of Melbourne, James Goold, Sheil was installed as Bishop of Adelaide on 16 September, that year.[1]
The diocese of Australia expanded significantly during Sheil's term as bishop. The number of priests rose from 17 to 30, and a number of new parishes were founded. The founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1866 by Mary Mackillop and Julian Tenison Woods contributed to a large improvement in Catholic education within the diocese. Sheil appointed Woods as the director general of Catholic education in the diocese, and by 1871, there were 71 Catholic schools in the diocese, more than half run by the Josephites.[1]
Although Sheil had been an effective educator in Victoria, his episcopacy was characterised by weak leadership and poor administration.[3] His travels to Europe to recruit priests and attend the First Vatican Council meant that he spent less than two years of his six-year reign in the diocese.[1] In the absence of effective leadership, clergy disunity became rife,[1] with a factional grouping forming around the Franciscan priest Charles Horan.[4] In 1871, when Sheil returned from a visit to Europe, Horan's faction alleged that the Josephites were incompetent and ignorant, petitioning him to take direct control of the order.[4] Sheil, who was increasingly acting under Horan's influence, demoted Tenison Woods from his administrative position within the diocese, disbanded the Josephite novitiate and sought to bring the charitable activities and schools operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph under the direct control of local bishops. In doing so, he removed Tenison Woods and MacKillop from their positions of influence within the order. MacKillop refused to submit, and in response, Sheil excommunicated her for disobedience.[1][4]C. J. Fox, editor and proprietor of the Catholic Irish Harp newspaper ran an article highly critical of the bishop's treatment of MacKillop and her order. Fox was then ousted by the Catholic Association, of which he was president,[5][6] for his candid criticism of Catholic hierarchy.[7] These events were reported by the mainstream Register, the outcome of which was a number of "Letters to the Editor" sympathetic to MacKillop, who was well respected by Catholics and Protestants alike.
Throughout early 1872, Sheil's health deteriorated seriously, a fact that was denied by his personal physician.[8] On his deathbed in Willunga, he rescinded his excommunication of MacKillop, claiming he had been betrayed by his advisors.[4] He died of a carbuncle on 1 March 1872.[1]
Legacy
After Sheil's death, two reports into his episcopacy and the state of the Diocese of Adelaide were conducted. The first, written by a Jesuit priest in the diocese to his Father-General in Rome, was fiercely critical of Sheil's recruitment of priests from Ireland. Of the 21 priests he had brought to the diocese, the report stated that one had died, one had such poor health as to be useless, five had been dismissed for impropriety, five had insufficient knowledge to be effective as priests and six had become involved in diocesan factionalism. Not only, the report alleged, had only two of the twenty-one recruited priests been useful, but many of them had known deficiencies before Sheil recruited them.[4]
The second report, commissioned by the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith, was conducted by Bishop of Hobart Daniel Murphy and Bishop of Bathurst Matthew Quinn. Murphy and Quinn travelled around the diocese, inspecting parishes and collecting evidence. Having concluded their investigations, they expelled Charles Horan and other factional leaders from the diocese, and recommended Christopher Reynolds (who had been acting as administrator of the Diocese since Sheil's death) be appointed as the next Bishop of Adelaide.[4]
References
^ abcdefghBickerton, Ian J. "Sheil, Laurence Bonaventure (1815–1872)". Sheil, Laurence Bonaventure. Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
^"Nun becomes first Australian saint". Al Jazeera. 17 October 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
^Schumann, Ruth (1990). "The Catholic Priesthood of South Australia, 1844–1915". Journal of Religious History. 16 (1): 51–73. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9809.1990.tb00649.x.
^ abcdefgPress, Margaret M. (1986). From Our Broken Toil – South Australian Catholics 1836 – 1906. The Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide. pp. 181–193. ISBN0-949807-35-4.
^"General News". The Express and Telegraph. South Australia. 19 October 1871. p. 2. Retrieved 25 April 2020 – via Trove.
^"Latest News". The Evening Journal (Adelaide). South Australia. 15 November 1871. p. 2. Retrieved 25 April 2020 – via Trove.
^"The Bishop and the Sisters of Saint Joseph". The Irish Harp And Farmers' Herald. South Australia. 7 October 1871. p. 6. Retrieved 25 April 2020 – via Trove. Fox was one of many who consistently misspelled the bishop's name as "Shiel".
^"Mr Tripe and the"Irish Harp"". The Irish Harp And Farmers' Herald. South Australia. 24 February 1872. p. 4. Retrieved 26 April 2020 – via Trove.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laurence Bonaventure Sheil (bishop).
Sheil, Laurence Bonaventure at the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition
Bishop Laurence Bonaventure Sheil, O.F.M. at catholic-hierarchy.org
August 11, 2023
laurence, sheil, laurence, bonaventure, sheil, december, 1815, march, 1872, irish, franciscan, friar, served, third, roman, catholic, bishop, adelaide, born, ireland, educated, peter, college, wexford, franciscan, college, isidore, rome, sheil, sent, british, . Laurence Bonaventure Sheil OFM 24 December 1815 1 March 1872 was an Irish Franciscan friar who served as the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Adelaide Born in Ireland he was educated at St Peter s College Wexford and at the Franciscan College of St Isidore Rome Sheil was sent to the British Colony of New South Wales in Australia after being ordained a priest There he served as an educator and administrator before poor health saw him move to Ballarat as archdeacon The Right ReverendLaurence Bonaventure Sheil OFMBishop of AdelaideDioceseAdelaideInstalled16 September 1866Term ended1 March 1872PredecessorBishop Patrick Geoghegan OFMSuccessorArchbishop Christopher ReynoldsOrdersOrdination1839Consecration15 August 1866Personal detailsBorn 1815 12 24 24 December 1815Wexford Ireland United Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandDied1 March 1872 1872 03 01 aged 56 Willunga South Australia British EmpireIn 1866 Sheil became the third Bishop of Adelaide His reign was characterised by poor administration with his extensive absence from the diocese contributing to severe factionalism within the clergy Sheil s mismanagement culminated in his excommunication of Mary MacKillop 1 who later became Australia s first saint 2 He died in March 1872 rescinding his excommunication of MacKillop on his deathbed Contents 1 Early life 2 Episcopacy 3 Legacy 4 References 5 External linksEarly life EditSheil was born on 24 December 1815 in Wexford Ireland From 1832 he attended the Franciscan College of St Isidore in Rome where he taught after he was ordained in 1839 After serving as guardian of the convents of St Francis at Cork and Carrickbeg Sheil travelled to Melbourne Australia arriving on 12 February 1853 There he served as the secretary and manager of the Victorian Catholic education board and taught at a Melbourne seminary Sheil s failing health saw him moved to Ballarat in 1859 where he became archdeacon In 1866 he was chosen to replace Patrick Geoghegan as Bishop of Adelaide 1 Episcopacy EditAfter being consecrated on 15 August 1866 by the Bishop of Melbourne James Goold Sheil was installed as Bishop of Adelaide on 16 September that year 1 The diocese of Australia expanded significantly during Sheil s term as bishop The number of priests rose from 17 to 30 and a number of new parishes were founded The founding of the Sisters of St Joseph in 1866 by Mary Mackillop and Julian Tenison Woods contributed to a large improvement in Catholic education within the diocese Sheil appointed Woods as the director general of Catholic education in the diocese and by 1871 there were 71 Catholic schools in the diocese more than half run by the Josephites 1 Although Sheil had been an effective educator in Victoria his episcopacy was characterised by weak leadership and poor administration 3 His travels to Europe to recruit priests and attend the First Vatican Council meant that he spent less than two years of his six year reign in the diocese 1 In the absence of effective leadership clergy disunity became rife 1 with a factional grouping forming around the Franciscan priest Charles Horan 4 In 1871 when Sheil returned from a visit to Europe Horan s faction alleged that the Josephites were incompetent and ignorant petitioning him to take direct control of the order 4 Sheil who was increasingly acting under Horan s influence demoted Tenison Woods from his administrative position within the diocese disbanded the Josephite novitiate and sought to bring the charitable activities and schools operated by the Sisters of St Joseph under the direct control of local bishops In doing so he removed Tenison Woods and MacKillop from their positions of influence within the order MacKillop refused to submit and in response Sheil excommunicated her for disobedience 1 4 C J Fox editor and proprietor of the Catholic Irish Harp newspaper ran an article highly critical of the bishop s treatment of MacKillop and her order Fox was then ousted by the Catholic Association of which he was president 5 6 for his candid criticism of Catholic hierarchy 7 These events were reported by the mainstream Register the outcome of which was a number of Letters to the Editor sympathetic to MacKillop who was well respected by Catholics and Protestants alike A group of Catholic laymen wrote to Cardinal Alessandro Barnabo Prefect of the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith in Rome The letter was strongly critical of Sheil s excommunication of MacKillop the management of diocesan finances and impropriety within the clergy 4 Throughout early 1872 Sheil s health deteriorated seriously a fact that was denied by his personal physician 8 On his deathbed in Willunga he rescinded his excommunication of MacKillop claiming he had been betrayed by his advisors 4 He died of a carbuncle on 1 March 1872 1 Legacy EditAfter Sheil s death two reports into his episcopacy and the state of the Diocese of Adelaide were conducted The first written by a Jesuit priest in the diocese to his Father General in Rome was fiercely critical of Sheil s recruitment of priests from Ireland Of the 21 priests he had brought to the diocese the report stated that one had died one had such poor health as to be useless five had been dismissed for impropriety five had insufficient knowledge to be effective as priests and six had become involved in diocesan factionalism Not only the report alleged had only two of the twenty one recruited priests been useful but many of them had known deficiencies before Sheil recruited them 4 The second report commissioned by the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith was conducted by Bishop of Hobart Daniel Murphy and Bishop of Bathurst Matthew Quinn Murphy and Quinn travelled around the diocese inspecting parishes and collecting evidence Having concluded their investigations they expelled Charles Horan and other factional leaders from the diocese and recommended Christopher Reynolds who had been acting as administrator of the Diocese since Sheil s death be appointed as the next Bishop of Adelaide 4 References Edit a b c d e f g h Bickerton Ian J Sheil Laurence Bonaventure 1815 1872 Sheil Laurence Bonaventure Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography Australian National University Retrieved 31 January 2011 Nun becomes first Australian saint Al Jazeera 17 October 2010 Retrieved 1 February 2011 Schumann Ruth 1990 The Catholic Priesthood of South Australia 1844 1915 Journal of Religious History 16 1 51 73 doi 10 1111 j 1467 9809 1990 tb00649 x a b c d e f g Press Margaret M 1986 From Our Broken Toil South Australian Catholics 1836 1906 The Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide pp 181 193 ISBN 0 949807 35 4 General News The Express and Telegraph South Australia 19 October 1871 p 2 Retrieved 25 April 2020 via Trove Latest News The Evening Journal Adelaide South Australia 15 November 1871 p 2 Retrieved 25 April 2020 via Trove The Bishop and the Sisters of Saint Joseph The Irish Harp And Farmers Herald South Australia 7 October 1871 p 6 Retrieved 25 April 2020 via Trove Fox was one of many who consistently misspelled the bishop s name as Shiel Mr Tripe and the Irish Harp The Irish Harp And Farmers Herald South Australia 24 February 1872 p 4 Retrieved 26 April 2020 via Trove External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laurence Bonaventure Sheil bishop Sheil Laurence Bonaventure at the Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition Bishop Laurence Bonaventure Sheil O F M at catholic hierarchy org Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Laurence Sheil amp oldid 1127199403, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
