Bishop Jeremiah Doyle (1849 - 1909)
Bishop Doyle
The fourth day of June 2009 marked the centenary of the death of the first Bishop of Lismore: Jeremiah Joseph Doyle.
Bishop Doyle was a remarkable man in many ways and our diocese owes much to his vision, energy and determination to build a flourishing Church in our region, far from his native Ireland.
Here we present the Powerpoint presentation used at the Cathedral at the centenary Mass, a pdf of the commemorative bookmark produced to mark the occasion, and a brief account of Bishop Doyle's life and ministry.
Click here to download the commemorative bookmark.
Scroll down to view the Powerpoint presentation (converted to pdf format) and to read about the bishop's life and ministry.
Bishop Doyle was a remarkable man in many ways and our diocese owes much to his vision, energy and determination to build a flourishing Church in our region, far from his native Ireland.
Here we present the Powerpoint presentation used at the Cathedral at the centenary Mass, a pdf of the commemorative bookmark produced to mark the occasion, and a brief account of Bishop Doyle's life and ministry.
Click here to download the commemorative bookmark.
Scroll down to view the Powerpoint presentation (converted to pdf format) and to read about the bishop's life and ministry.
Bishop Jeremiah Doyle (1849 - 1909)
The fourth day of June 2009 marked the centenary of the death of the first Bishop of Lismore: Jeremiah Joseph Doyle.
Bishop Doyle was a remarkable man in many ways and our diocese owes much to his vision, energy and determination to build a flourishing Church in our region, far from his native Ireland.
Here we present the Powerpoint presentation used at the Cathedral at the centenary Mass, a pdf of the commemorative bookmark produced to mark the occasion, and a brief account of Bishop Doyle's life and ministry.
Click here to download the commemorative bookmark.
Scroll down to view the Powerpoint presentation (converted to pdf format) and to read about the bishop's life and ministry.
Who was Jeremiah Joseph Doyle...?
Born in Kilmurry County Cork in Ireland in 1849 he became one of the legion of missionary priest who came to Australia to establish the Catholic Church in this country. He was ordained on 24th June 1874 for the Diocese of Armidale and after an eventful sea voyage (he was shipwrecked in the Bay of Biscay) he arrived in Sydney in November 1874.
In those days the Lismore Diocese was part of the Armidale Diocese and the young Father Doyle served in Armidale, Casino and Lismore before being given responsibility for the whole Northern Rivers region and eventually being appointed the first Bishop of Lismore in 1887. It was a fairly meteoric rise but one which reflects the exceptional leadership skills of the young Bishop Doyle.
Jeremiah Joseph Doyle, the first Bishop of Lismore, made a lasting impact on the Church in Lismore. One of his greatest achievements was the building of the beautiful St Carthage’s Cathedral, a feat that was not without its challenges.
Early Days in Lismore
When Bishop Doyle first came to Lismore there were only three Catholic families and the Catholic church was a wooden structure, twenty feet square. The area was isolated and remote and the only means of transport was by horseback. Bishop Doyle’s horse was called Yorick and together the priest and the horse travelled through rugged terrain, swimming across unbridged rivers, to visit Coraki, Casino, Broadwater, Ballina, Byron Bay and beyond.
Yet despite the small and insignificant outpost that was Lismore in 1887, Bishop Doyle saw potential in the area and, upon becoming Bishop of Grafton, he chose to live in Lismore and to petition Rome for a change in the name of his new Diocese to the Lismore Diocese.
Bishop Doyle also dreamed that his Diocese should have a great Cathedral and after laying the foundation stone in 1892 he worked tirelessly to raise the vast sum of money needed for this great enterprise. It was not an easy task. The banks failed in the late 1890’s and the building of the Cathedral was delayed until 1904. Then in 1905 the pro-cathedral, Presentation convent and St Mary’s school were destroyed by fire. It seemed as if a lifetime’s work and hard earned finance had just gone up in smoke.
But Bishop Doyle was not deterred, he borrowed money, using the equally penniless Presentation Sisters as guarantors, and forged onwards with his plans. The Bishop, who had by then upgraded from horseback to horse and sulky, travelled all over the Diocese five days a week collecting money and anything else he could sell for the Cathedral Fund. The Cathedral was built literally brick by brick as the money trickled in. Finally, in August 1907, the Cathedral was dedicated by Cardinal Moran.
Today the Cathedral stands as a testament to one man’s determination, energy and faith. The Cathedral was Bishop Doyle’s gift to Lismore, a place he loved and was proud to call home. As a final act in the story of Bishop Doyle’s amazing Cathedral building achievement, he travelled to Ireland in 1908 and ordered twelve bells from Matthew O’Byrne the great bell-founder. These were to be his personal gift to the Lismore Cathedral. The great tenor bell he named ‘St Patrick” in honour of the country of his birth. After Bishop Doyle’s unexpected death, the bells arrived in Lismore from Ireland and sat on the docks while decision were made as to what to do with them – the bell tower had not been built at that stage and there was no money. Finally in recognition of Bishop Doyle’s enormous contribution to the civic life of Lismore, the Lismore Council paid for the bells and their installation.
Death in 1909
“Suddenly, and without warning, death has removed from our midst one who has been a prominent figure in the district for over a quarter of a century.”
These were the words of the editorial in the Northern Star on 7th June 1909 following the death of Bishop Doyle on June 5th. As a public figure Bishop Doyle’s contribution to the Lismore community was extraordinary. Renowned for his organizational abilities he promoted the development of a water and gas supply in Lismore, helped establish a municipal government in the town, campaigned for the extension of the railway line, personally organized the installation of the telephone exchange, the establishment of Lismore Base Hospital, the School of Arts, the Agricultural Society and the acquisition of the reserve at Rocky Creek to ensure Lismore’s water supply.
It is said that when Bishop Doyle rode into Lismore for the first time on the 4th July 1878 he became its 500th citizen, allowing the small community to petition for the status of municipality. This beginning perhaps pointing the enormous contribution this 500th citizen was to make in the next thirty years.
As well as contributing to the establishment of the town’s infrastructure , Bishop Doyle was also active in the establishment of schools – opening the first Catholic school in 1881. Later he visited Ireland to petition the Presentation Sisters to come out from Lucan to take charge of his schools; an invitation they accepted, arriving in 1886.As an eminent citizen of Lismore, Bishop Doyle also contributed to peaceful relationships between the citizens of the town, especially in the face of sectarian tensions. In 1886 he intervened in the O’Gorman riots, walking up and down between the protagonists arguing for an end to the violence.
To quote the Northern Star again “Few figures would be more missed from the public life of Lismore than that of the deceased prelate … while he proud of the district, the district was proud of the career of the cleric …his loss to the district will be hard to replace” (June 7, 1909). The death of Bishop Doyle certainly cast a pall over the whole town with all of Lismore’s flags flying at half mast and shop windows being draped in black. The funeral was one of the biggest events seen in Lismore at that time; the Cathedral was filled to overflowing with parishioners, representative from other churches, civic dignitaries and priests and representatives from surrounding parishes.
Bishop Doyle was buried in the Cathedral according to his wishes and in keeping with the tradition of the Church. His internment again drew record crowds to the Cathedral, with the Northern Star reporting: “As early as 2.30pm people commenced to wend their way toward the Cathedral and to a stranger the sight of the streams of humanity that filled the sidewalks of Keen Street would convey the impression that the whole of the city’s population had turned out.”
Such was the standing of Bishop Doyle in the town that at a time of marked sectarian division, the Northern Star published obituaries on behalf of the Anglican and Presbyterian communities as well as messages from Lismore’s civic and business leaders. The final lines of the Northern Star’s extensive coverage of the death and burial of Bishop Doyle are a moving tribute to his contribution to the Church and to Lismore: “A strenuous worker always for his Church or in his capacity as a citizen, he has well earned his rest, and set an example that will be held up to the young for many years”.
His Lasting Legacy
One of the many legacies Bishop Doyle left to the Diocese was a strong and vibrant Catholic education system. He organized, as parish priest and later Bishop, for religious orders renowned for their educational mission to come to the fledgling Diocese. The Sisters of Mercy arrived in Grafton in 1883 and by 1907 had seven schools. In 1886 the Presentation Sisters, whom Bishop Doyle had personally commissioned from Ireland, came to establish schools in Lismore, Ballina, Murwillumbah and other centres. The Sisters of the Sacred Heart and Josephites soon followed. Due to his reputation as an educator, Bishop Doyle was appointed in 1890 to a committee established to set up standards of proficiency for Catholic schools.
Mother Stanislaus, leader of the first Presentation Sisters to come to Lismore, wrote of Bishop Doyle: "He had eminently the creative spirit and a wonderful way of getting people to do things with him and for him." As leaders, both Bishop Doyle and Mother Stanislaus were innovators. They shared a long-term vision for and commitment to the Catholic faith expanding in the Lismore Diocese through pastoral and educational initiatives. Not even the complete destruction of the convent, boarding school and pro-cathedral in the disastrous fire in 1905 could weaken their faith and determination to re-build.
Today’s successful Catholic school system in Lismore Diocese is a testament to the foresight of our first Bishop and those like Mother Stanislaus who worked with him.
In those days the Lismore Diocese was part of the Armidale Diocese and the young Father Doyle served in Armidale, Casino and Lismore before being given responsibility for the whole Northern Rivers region and eventually being appointed the first Bishop of Lismore in 1887. It was a fairly meteoric rise but one which reflects the exceptional leadership skills of the young Bishop Doyle.
Jeremiah Joseph Doyle, the first Bishop of Lismore, made a lasting impact on the Church in Lismore. One of his greatest achievements was the building of the beautiful St Carthage’s Cathedral, a feat that was not without its challenges.
Early Days in Lismore
When Bishop Doyle first came to Lismore there were only three Catholic families and the Catholic church was a wooden structure, twenty feet square. The area was isolated and remote and the only means of transport was by horseback. Bishop Doyle’s horse was called Yorick and together the priest and the horse travelled through rugged terrain, swimming across unbridged rivers, to visit Coraki, Casino, Broadwater, Ballina, Byron Bay and beyond.
Yet despite the small and insignificant outpost that was Lismore in 1887, Bishop Doyle saw potential in the area and, upon becoming Bishop of Grafton, he chose to live in Lismore and to petition Rome for a change in the name of his new Diocese to the Lismore Diocese.
Bishop Doyle also dreamed that his Diocese should have a great Cathedral and after laying the foundation stone in 1892 he worked tirelessly to raise the vast sum of money needed for this great enterprise. It was not an easy task. The banks failed in the late 1890’s and the building of the Cathedral was delayed until 1904. Then in 1905 the pro-cathedral, Presentation convent and St Mary’s school were destroyed by fire. It seemed as if a lifetime’s work and hard earned finance had just gone up in smoke.
But Bishop Doyle was not deterred, he borrowed money, using the equally penniless Presentation Sisters as guarantors, and forged onwards with his plans. The Bishop, who had by then upgraded from horseback to horse and sulky, travelled all over the Diocese five days a week collecting money and anything else he could sell for the Cathedral Fund. The Cathedral was built literally brick by brick as the money trickled in. Finally, in August 1907, the Cathedral was dedicated by Cardinal Moran.
Today the Cathedral stands as a testament to one man’s determination, energy and faith. The Cathedral was Bishop Doyle’s gift to Lismore, a place he loved and was proud to call home. As a final act in the story of Bishop Doyle’s amazing Cathedral building achievement, he travelled to Ireland in 1908 and ordered twelve bells from Matthew O’Byrne the great bell-founder. These were to be his personal gift to the Lismore Cathedral. The great tenor bell he named ‘St Patrick” in honour of the country of his birth. After Bishop Doyle’s unexpected death, the bells arrived in Lismore from Ireland and sat on the docks while decision were made as to what to do with them – the bell tower had not been built at that stage and there was no money. Finally in recognition of Bishop Doyle’s enormous contribution to the civic life of Lismore, the Lismore Council paid for the bells and their installation.
Death in 1909
“Suddenly, and without warning, death has removed from our midst one who has been a prominent figure in the district for over a quarter of a century.”
These were the words of the editorial in the Northern Star on 7th June 1909 following the death of Bishop Doyle on June 5th. As a public figure Bishop Doyle’s contribution to the Lismore community was extraordinary. Renowned for his organizational abilities he promoted the development of a water and gas supply in Lismore, helped establish a municipal government in the town, campaigned for the extension of the railway line, personally organized the installation of the telephone exchange, the establishment of Lismore Base Hospital, the School of Arts, the Agricultural Society and the acquisition of the reserve at Rocky Creek to ensure Lismore’s water supply.
It is said that when Bishop Doyle rode into Lismore for the first time on the 4th July 1878 he became its 500th citizen, allowing the small community to petition for the status of municipality. This beginning perhaps pointing the enormous contribution this 500th citizen was to make in the next thirty years.
As well as contributing to the establishment of the town’s infrastructure , Bishop Doyle was also active in the establishment of schools – opening the first Catholic school in 1881. Later he visited Ireland to petition the Presentation Sisters to come out from Lucan to take charge of his schools; an invitation they accepted, arriving in 1886.As an eminent citizen of Lismore, Bishop Doyle also contributed to peaceful relationships between the citizens of the town, especially in the face of sectarian tensions. In 1886 he intervened in the O’Gorman riots, walking up and down between the protagonists arguing for an end to the violence.
To quote the Northern Star again “Few figures would be more missed from the public life of Lismore than that of the deceased prelate … while he proud of the district, the district was proud of the career of the cleric …his loss to the district will be hard to replace” (June 7, 1909). The death of Bishop Doyle certainly cast a pall over the whole town with all of Lismore’s flags flying at half mast and shop windows being draped in black. The funeral was one of the biggest events seen in Lismore at that time; the Cathedral was filled to overflowing with parishioners, representative from other churches, civic dignitaries and priests and representatives from surrounding parishes.
Bishop Doyle was buried in the Cathedral according to his wishes and in keeping with the tradition of the Church. His internment again drew record crowds to the Cathedral, with the Northern Star reporting: “As early as 2.30pm people commenced to wend their way toward the Cathedral and to a stranger the sight of the streams of humanity that filled the sidewalks of Keen Street would convey the impression that the whole of the city’s population had turned out.”
Such was the standing of Bishop Doyle in the town that at a time of marked sectarian division, the Northern Star published obituaries on behalf of the Anglican and Presbyterian communities as well as messages from Lismore’s civic and business leaders. The final lines of the Northern Star’s extensive coverage of the death and burial of Bishop Doyle are a moving tribute to his contribution to the Church and to Lismore: “A strenuous worker always for his Church or in his capacity as a citizen, he has well earned his rest, and set an example that will be held up to the young for many years”.
His Lasting Legacy
One of the many legacies Bishop Doyle left to the Diocese was a strong and vibrant Catholic education system. He organized, as parish priest and later Bishop, for religious orders renowned for their educational mission to come to the fledgling Diocese. The Sisters of Mercy arrived in Grafton in 1883 and by 1907 had seven schools. In 1886 the Presentation Sisters, whom Bishop Doyle had personally commissioned from Ireland, came to establish schools in Lismore, Ballina, Murwillumbah and other centres. The Sisters of the Sacred Heart and Josephites soon followed. Due to his reputation as an educator, Bishop Doyle was appointed in 1890 to a committee established to set up standards of proficiency for Catholic schools.
Mother Stanislaus, leader of the first Presentation Sisters to come to Lismore, wrote of Bishop Doyle: "He had eminently the creative spirit and a wonderful way of getting people to do things with him and for him." As leaders, both Bishop Doyle and Mother Stanislaus were innovators. They shared a long-term vision for and commitment to the Catholic faith expanding in the Lismore Diocese through pastoral and educational initiatives. Not even the complete destruction of the convent, boarding school and pro-cathedral in the disastrous fire in 1905 could weaken their faith and determination to re-build.
Today’s successful Catholic school system in Lismore Diocese is a testament to the foresight of our first Bishop and those like Mother Stanislaus who worked with him.
