Former Bishop of the Military Ordinariate of Australia, Monsignor John Aloysius Morgan was by the time of his demise, the fifth oldest Catholic Bishop in the World, the last surviving member of his ordination class of 1934, and possibly Australia's last living Second World War chaplain.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, on October 9, 1909 to Patrick Morgan and Catherine McGrath, he went to school at St. Columba's Convent School, Essendon; St. Joseph's Christian Brothers' in North Melbourne and matriculated form St. Kevin's College, East Melbourne. Entering Corpus Christi Seminary in l927, he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Daniel Mannix at St. Patrick's Cathedral on July 15, 1934. Morgan began a long time connection with the Armed Services when he became a chaplain within the Australian Army in 1941. He served in Papua New Guinea and was present at the formal surrender of the Japanese in Salamaua on August 15, 1945. Of this Bishop Morgan commented: "I have always regarded this day as providential - it was the Feast Day of the Assumption of Our Lady". In 1947, he was appointed Senior Catholic Chaplain for the Southern Command and was named Chaplain General in 1955.
In that capacity he moved to Canberra in 1964, where he made his home in Campbell and began his long and close association with Father John Hoare. March 1969 saw the establishment of the Military Vicariate of Australia and on April 28, of that year, the son of a remarkable Melbourne family, who showed himself through his life a remarkable human being, soldier and priest, at the age of 59, was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn on March 6, 1969, and received his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Membressa on April 28, from Cardinal Norman Thomas Gilroy, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Sydney, assisted by Archbishops Thomas Vincent Cahill and Matthew Beovich.
He was also parish priest of the Braddon parish from 1969 until 1986. In the inter-regnum of the death of Archbishop Cahill and the installation of Archbishop Clancy he was the vicar capitular of the Archdiocese.
Msgr. Morgan retired from office at 75 years of age on January 2, 1985, and the following year, took up residence at St. Christopher's Cathedral presbytery, where he stayed for the following nineteen years. He continued to celebrate Mass regularly at the cathedral for many years.
Having suffered a bad fall and short-term memory loss over the preceding two months before his demise, the Bishop died the same night after asking to return from Calvary Hospital to his home at the Villagio Sant'Antonio, Canberra, reportedly telling hospital staff: "I just want to go home to prepare to die."
The last thing he reportedly said was "thank you" to his staff, went to bed with his Rosary beads and passed away at about 10 minutes to 10 that night, Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at the venerable age of 98 years. Funeral Mass for Bishop Morgan was celebrated at St. Paul's Memorial Chapel inside the Royal Military College at Duntroon, at 10 am., on Thursday, May 29. Interment followed inside the crypt of St. Christopher's Cathedral.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, on October 9, 1909 to Patrick Morgan and Catherine McGrath, he went to school at St. Columba's Convent School, Essendon; St. Joseph's Christian Brothers' in North Melbourne and matriculated form St. Kevin's College, East Melbourne. Entering Corpus Christi Seminary in l927, he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Daniel Mannix at St. Patrick's Cathedral on July 15, 1934. Morgan began a long time connection with the Armed Services when he became a chaplain within the Australian Army in 1941. He served in Papua New Guinea and was present at the formal surrender of the Japanese in Salamaua on August 15, 1945. Of this Bishop Morgan commented: "I have always regarded this day as providential - it was the Feast Day of the Assumption of Our Lady". In 1947, he was appointed Senior Catholic Chaplain for the Southern Command and was named Chaplain General in 1955.
In that capacity he moved to Canberra in 1964, where he made his home in Campbell and began his long and close association with Father John Hoare. March 1969 saw the establishment of the Military Vicariate of Australia and on April 28, of that year, the son of a remarkable Melbourne family, who showed himself through his life a remarkable human being, soldier and priest, at the age of 59, was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn on March 6, 1969, and received his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Membressa on April 28, from Cardinal Norman Thomas Gilroy, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Sydney, assisted by Archbishops Thomas Vincent Cahill and Matthew Beovich.
He was also parish priest of the Braddon parish from 1969 until 1986. In the inter-regnum of the death of Archbishop Cahill and the installation of Archbishop Clancy he was the vicar capitular of the Archdiocese.
Msgr. Morgan retired from office at 75 years of age on January 2, 1985, and the following year, took up residence at St. Christopher's Cathedral presbytery, where he stayed for the following nineteen years. He continued to celebrate Mass regularly at the cathedral for many years.
Having suffered a bad fall and short-term memory loss over the preceding two months before his demise, the Bishop died the same night after asking to return from Calvary Hospital to his home at the Villagio Sant'Antonio, Canberra, reportedly telling hospital staff: "I just want to go home to prepare to die."
The last thing he reportedly said was "thank you" to his staff, went to bed with his Rosary beads and passed away at about 10 minutes to 10 that night, Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at the venerable age of 98 years. Funeral Mass for Bishop Morgan was celebrated at St. Paul's Memorial Chapel inside the Royal Military College at Duntroon, at 10 am., on Thursday, May 29. Interment followed inside the crypt of St. Christopher's Cathedral.
Former Bishop of the Military Ordinariate of Australia, Monsignor John Aloysius Morgan was by the time of his demise, the fifth oldest Catholic Bishop in the World, the last surviving member of his ordination class of 1934, and possibly Australia's last living Second World War chaplain.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, on October 9, 1909 to Patrick Morgan and Catherine McGrath, he went to school at St. Columba's Convent School, Essendon; St. Joseph's Christian Brothers' in North Melbourne and matriculated form St. Kevin's College, East Melbourne. Entering Corpus Christi Seminary in l927, he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Daniel Mannix at St. Patrick's Cathedral on July 15, 1934. Morgan began a long time connection with the Armed Services when he became a chaplain within the Australian Army in 1941. He served in Papua New Guinea and was present at the formal surrender of the Japanese in Salamaua on August 15, 1945. Of this Bishop Morgan commented: "I have always regarded this day as providential - it was the Feast Day of the Assumption of Our Lady". In 1947, he was appointed Senior Catholic Chaplain for the Southern Command and was named Chaplain General in 1955.
In that capacity he moved to Canberra in 1964, where he made his home in Campbell and began his long and close association with Father John Hoare. March 1969 saw the establishment of the Military Vicariate of Australia and on April 28, of that year, the son of a remarkable Melbourne family, who showed himself through his life a remarkable human being, soldier and priest, at the age of 59, was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn on March 6, 1969, and received his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Membressa on April 28, from Cardinal Norman Thomas Gilroy, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Sydney, assisted by Archbishops Thomas Vincent Cahill and Matthew Beovich.
He was also parish priest of the Braddon parish from 1969 until 1986. In the inter-regnum of the death of Archbishop Cahill and the installation of Archbishop Clancy he was the vicar capitular of the Archdiocese.
Msgr. Morgan retired from office at 75 years of age on January 2, 1985, and the following year, took up residence at St. Christopher's Cathedral presbytery, where he stayed for the following nineteen years. He continued to celebrate Mass regularly at the cathedral for many years.
Having suffered a bad fall and short-term memory loss over the preceding two months before his demise, the Bishop died the same night after asking to return from Calvary Hospital to his home at the Villagio Sant'Antonio, Canberra, reportedly telling hospital staff: "I just want to go home to prepare to die."
The last thing he reportedly said was "thank you" to his staff, went to bed with his Rosary beads and passed away at about 10 minutes to 10 that night, Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at the venerable age of 98 years. Funeral Mass for Bishop Morgan was celebrated at St. Paul's Memorial Chapel inside the Royal Military College at Duntroon, at 10 am., on Thursday, May 29. Interment followed inside the crypt of St. Christopher's Cathedral.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, on October 9, 1909 to Patrick Morgan and Catherine McGrath, he went to school at St. Columba's Convent School, Essendon; St. Joseph's Christian Brothers' in North Melbourne and matriculated form St. Kevin's College, East Melbourne. Entering Corpus Christi Seminary in l927, he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Daniel Mannix at St. Patrick's Cathedral on July 15, 1934. Morgan began a long time connection with the Armed Services when he became a chaplain within the Australian Army in 1941. He served in Papua New Guinea and was present at the formal surrender of the Japanese in Salamaua on August 15, 1945. Of this Bishop Morgan commented: "I have always regarded this day as providential - it was the Feast Day of the Assumption of Our Lady". In 1947, he was appointed Senior Catholic Chaplain for the Southern Command and was named Chaplain General in 1955.
In that capacity he moved to Canberra in 1964, where he made his home in Campbell and began his long and close association with Father John Hoare. March 1969 saw the establishment of the Military Vicariate of Australia and on April 28, of that year, the son of a remarkable Melbourne family, who showed himself through his life a remarkable human being, soldier and priest, at the age of 59, was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn on March 6, 1969, and received his episcopal consecration with the Titular See of Membressa on April 28, from Cardinal Norman Thomas Gilroy, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Sydney, assisted by Archbishops Thomas Vincent Cahill and Matthew Beovich.
He was also parish priest of the Braddon parish from 1969 until 1986. In the inter-regnum of the death of Archbishop Cahill and the installation of Archbishop Clancy he was the vicar capitular of the Archdiocese.
Msgr. Morgan retired from office at 75 years of age on January 2, 1985, and the following year, took up residence at St. Christopher's Cathedral presbytery, where he stayed for the following nineteen years. He continued to celebrate Mass regularly at the cathedral for many years.
Having suffered a bad fall and short-term memory loss over the preceding two months before his demise, the Bishop died the same night after asking to return from Calvary Hospital to his home at the Villagio Sant'Antonio, Canberra, reportedly telling hospital staff: "I just want to go home to prepare to die."
The last thing he reportedly said was "thank you" to his staff, went to bed with his Rosary beads and passed away at about 10 minutes to 10 that night, Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at the venerable age of 98 years. Funeral Mass for Bishop Morgan was celebrated at St. Paul's Memorial Chapel inside the Royal Military College at Duntroon, at 10 am., on Thursday, May 29. Interment followed inside the crypt of St. Christopher's Cathedral.
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