The late Mgr, Rigney

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 22, 28 May 1903, Page 3

The late Mgr, Rigney

As announced in a recent issue of the ' N.Z. Tablot,' the Right Rev. Mgr. Rigney died at Prospect, near Sydney, on Saturday, May 9, at the advanced age of 91 years. The late Monsignor Rigney represented the last surviving link in this State (says the ' Freeman's Journal ') with the long past of Australian ecclesiastical history. He came to these shores when Australia was practically a wilderness, at a time when there were but three bishops in the whole of Australasia— Most Rev Dr. Polding in Sydney, Dr. Pompallier in New Zealand, and Dr. Viavd, of Oceania— all of whom have been long called to their reward His work was the hard, unrelenting work of the pioneer of religious establishment Dr. Rigney arrived in Australia on July 15, 1838. Companions of his on the voyage were the Rev. Fathers Francis Murphy (afterwards first Archbishop of Adelaide), John Fitzpatrick, Michael O'Reilly, Edmund Mahony, Thomas Slattery, Brennan, and Lynch. At that time there were nine priests in the whole of New South Wales, seven in New Zealand, and five in Oceania. There were no nuns south of the line, but towards tho end of 1838 Dr. Ullathorne brought out five Sisters of Mercy, who were stationed at Parramatta, where to-day there is a flourishing branch of the Order. Father John Rigney was a native of Ballinasloe, County Galway. He was educated and ordained at Ma\nooth College. In the year 1838, a year after Father Rigney's ordination, Ithe Right Rev. Dr. Ullathorne, accompanied by the Utev. Francis Murphy, then on the English mission, visited Ireland for the purpose of inducing if possible priests to go out to the Australian mission. Father Rigney volunteered his services, and arrived with the heroic band above-mentioned on July 15, 1838. For a number of years ho had charge of the Singleton district. Ro-

moved from there, he was appointed to Brisbane, but when the diocese of Brisbane was formed, Father Rigney returned to Sydney, where he labored long and faithfully. His missions were at Balmain and St. Mary's Cathedral. He took an active part in forwarding the building of the present Cathedral edifice. On the death of the venerable Archdeacon M'Encroe he was appointed in 1869 to the archdeaconry of the diocese of Sydney ; while 19 years later he was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate by his Holiness Pope Leo XIII. After a Requiem Mass at fit Patrick's Church, Parramatta, the remains were interred in the local cemetery, the funeral cortege being the largest ever seen in the district.