Edward Joyce
Encyclopedia
Edward Michael Joyce was the fourth Roman Catholic bishop of Christchurch
, New Zealand
. He was appointed by Pope Pius XII
on 18 April 1950 and died in office on 28 January 1964. He was the first priest of the Christchurch diocese to be made a bishop.
, New Zealand
in 1904 and spent part of his childhood in Loburn
. He trained for the priesthood at Holy Cross College, Mosgiel
.
by his uncle James Byrne, the 1st Catholic Bishop of Toowoomba
. He then spent three years in Auckland and was the chaplain
at Sacred Heart College
, then located in Ponsonby. Joyce returned to Christchurch in 1934 to be assistant priest at Addington
and then at Riccarton
. In 1937 he was loaned to the Diocese of Toowoomba where he assisted his uncle James Byrne until he died on 11 February 1938. In 1941 Joyce was appointed chaplain to the New Zealand Military Forces and served with New Zealand troops in Tonga
and Fiji
. In Fiji he was attached to the headquarters of the Fiji Infantry Brigade Group and was associated with many activities for the promotion of the welfare of the troops in his area. After his demobilisation in 1945, Joyce was posted to the reserve of officers with the rank of Major He was stationed at the Cathedral in Christchurch and engaged in rehabilitation work for returned soldiers. He represented Bishop Lyons for three years on the Labour Department immigration committee. At the same time he was involved with general Catholic activities being spiritual adviser to the Catholic Women's League
and the Catholic Men's Luncheon Club. Joyce was very involved during the Ballantyne's fire tragedy of 1947
and represented Bishop Lyons at the mass funeral for the victims. Joyce became parish priest at Sockburn
in 1947.
on 16 July 1950 by Archbishop McKeefry
and Bishops Liston
and Kavanagh
. Joyce's appointment was unusual among New Zealand bishops at that time in that he had no training in Rome
or elsewhere overseas. During the 14 years of Joyce's episcopate the Christchurch diocese experienced considerable growth. The Catholic population increased from 31, 769 to 48,500, the number of parishes increased from 32 to 47, the number of secular priests
rose from 47 to 80, primary schools went from 35 to 53 and the number of pupils attending Catholic schools rose from 6524 to 11,038.
Bishop Joyce opened two new secondary schools, Cottesmore College (staffed by the Religious of the Sacred Heart) and St Thomas of Canterbury College
(staffed by the Christian Brothers
). Among the other religious orders introduced by Joyce were the Brothers of St John of God
and the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion. Joyce founded the Mary Potter Hospice for the Dying (operated by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary
), Rochester Hall (a hostel for Catholic university students) and he encouraged the setting up of an outpatients psychiatric clinic at Calvary Hospital. He attended the first two sessions of the Second Vatican Council
.
His requiem Mass was celebrated before a congregation of more than a 1,000 by Archbishop McKeefry
who also preached the panagyric. Bishops Thomas William Muldoon
, (Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney), Kavanagh of Dunedin
, Reginald Delargey (Auxiliary Bishop of Auckland), and Owen Snedden
(Auxiliary Bishop of Wellington) were also present.
He was interred in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch
at the foot of the altar of Saint Joseph
.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch
The Latin Rite Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington. Its cathedral and see city are located in Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He was appointed by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
on 18 April 1950 and died in office on 28 January 1964. He was the first priest of the Christchurch diocese to be made a bishop.
Early life
Joyce was born in LytteltonLyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1904 and spent part of his childhood in Loburn
Loburn, New Zealand
Loburn is a rural community in north Canterbury, New Zealand. It is located ten kilometres northwest of Rangiora and nearly 50 kilometres north of Christchurch....
. He trained for the priesthood at Holy Cross College, Mosgiel
Holy Cross College (New Zealand)
Holy Cross College or Holy Cross Seminary is the national Roman Catholic seminary of New Zealand for the training of priests. It was first opened in 1900 in Mosgiel and was relocated to Auckland in 1997.-Establishment:...
.
Priesthood
Joyce was ordained priest on October 31, 1930 in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, ChristchurchCathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, located in the city centre of Christchurch, New Zealand, commonly known as the Christchurch Basilica, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch and seat of the Bishop of Christchurch...
by his uncle James Byrne, the 1st Catholic Bishop of Toowoomba
Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba is a Latin rite suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, established in 1929, covering the Darling Downs and south west regions of Queensland, Australia.St...
. He then spent three years in Auckland and was the chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at Sacred Heart College
Sacred Heart College, Auckland
Sacred Heart College is a secondary school in Auckland, New Zealand. It is a Catholic, Marist College set on of land overlooking the Tamaki Estuary in Glen Innes.- History :The college was opened in 1903 in Ponsonby, by the Marist Brothers...
, then located in Ponsonby. Joyce returned to Christchurch in 1934 to be assistant priest at Addington
Addington, New Zealand
Addington is a major suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is sited south-west of the city centre.-Description:The suburb was named for the country residence of Bishop John Sumner, one of the leading members of the Canterbury Association....
and then at Riccarton
Riccarton, New Zealand
Riccarton is a suburb of Christchurch. It is due west of the city centre, separated from it by Hagley Park. Upper Riccarton is to the west of Riccarton.-History:...
. In 1937 he was loaned to the Diocese of Toowoomba where he assisted his uncle James Byrne until he died on 11 February 1938. In 1941 Joyce was appointed chaplain to the New Zealand Military Forces and served with New Zealand troops in Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
and Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. In Fiji he was attached to the headquarters of the Fiji Infantry Brigade Group and was associated with many activities for the promotion of the welfare of the troops in his area. After his demobilisation in 1945, Joyce was posted to the reserve of officers with the rank of Major He was stationed at the Cathedral in Christchurch and engaged in rehabilitation work for returned soldiers. He represented Bishop Lyons for three years on the Labour Department immigration committee. At the same time he was involved with general Catholic activities being spiritual adviser to the Catholic Women's League
Catholic Women's League
The Catholic Women's League is a Roman Catholic lay organisation aimed at women in England and Wales. Through emigration in the past, the CWL may be found in some Commonwealth countries. It is especially flourishing in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. -References:* Olivier Rota,...
and the Catholic Men's Luncheon Club. Joyce was very involved during the Ballantyne's fire tragedy of 1947
Ballantyne's store disaster
The Ballantyne's fire on 18 November 1947 remains the deadliest fire in New Zealand history. Forty one people died in the blaze in the Christchurch Central City; all were employees who found themselves trapped by the fire or were overcome by smoke while evacuating the store complex without a fire...
and represented Bishop Lyons at the mass funeral for the victims. Joyce became parish priest at Sockburn
Sockburn
Sockburn is a village and civil parish in County Durham, in England. It is situated at the bottom of a loop of the River Tees, south of Darlington, known locally as the Sockburn Peninsula. Today, there is not much there apart from an early nineteenth-century mansion, a ruined church and a farmhouse...
in 1947.
Episcopacy
Joyce was appointed a Bishop of Christchurch on 18 April 1950 and was ordained bishop in the CathedralCathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, located in the city centre of Christchurch, New Zealand, commonly known as the Christchurch Basilica, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch and seat of the Bishop of Christchurch...
on 16 July 1950 by Archbishop McKeefry
Peter McKeefry
Peter Thomas Bertram McKeefry was the Third Archbishop of Wellington and Metropolitan of New Zealand and its first Cardinal.-Early life and education:...
and Bishops Liston
James Michael Liston
James Michael Liston, CMG was the Seventh Catholic Bishop of Auckland.-Early life:James Michael Liston was born in Dunedin on 9 June 1881, one of a family of five children of James Liston, a hotel-keeper, and his wife, Mary . His parents were both born in Ireland. He was educated at Kavanagh...
and Kavanagh
John Patrick Kavanagh
John Patrick Kavanagh was the Fourth Catholic Bishop of Dunedin .-References:* , from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 1-Sep-10...
. Joyce's appointment was unusual among New Zealand bishops at that time in that he had no training in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
or elsewhere overseas. During the 14 years of Joyce's episcopate the Christchurch diocese experienced considerable growth. The Catholic population increased from 31, 769 to 48,500, the number of parishes increased from 32 to 47, the number of secular priests
Secular clergy
The term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or members of a religious order.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, the secular clergy are ministers, such as deacons and priests, who do not belong to a religious order...
rose from 47 to 80, primary schools went from 35 to 53 and the number of pupils attending Catholic schools rose from 6524 to 11,038.
Bishop Joyce opened two new secondary schools, Cottesmore College (staffed by the Religious of the Sacred Heart) and St Thomas of Canterbury College
St Thomas of Canterbury College
St Thomas of Canterbury College is a college for year 7 to 13 boys and offers a Catholic education to its students. It is located in Christchurch, New Zealand...
(staffed by the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers in New Zealand
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a Catholic religious order which has been established in New Zealand since 1876. The order's particular charism is the education of boys and in New Zealand the order has been responsible for eight schools and has launched other educational...
). Among the other religious orders introduced by Joyce were the Brothers of St John of God
Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God
The Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God are a Roman Catholic order founded in 1572. They are also known commonly as the Fatebenefratelli, meaning "Do-Good Brothers" in Italian.-History:...
and the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion. Joyce founded the Mary Potter Hospice for the Dying (operated by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary
Sisters of the Little Company of Mary
The Little Company of Mary is a Roman Catholic religious institute of women dedicated to caring for the suffering, the sick and the dying. The order was founded in 1877 England by Venerable Mary Potter....
), Rochester Hall (a hostel for Catholic university students) and he encouraged the setting up of an outpatients psychiatric clinic at Calvary Hospital. He attended the first two sessions of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
.
Death
Joyce's final years were blighted by illness. which greatly reduced his effectiveness. He died on 28 January 1964, aged 59.His requiem Mass was celebrated before a congregation of more than a 1,000 by Archbishop McKeefry
Peter McKeefry
Peter Thomas Bertram McKeefry was the Third Archbishop of Wellington and Metropolitan of New Zealand and its first Cardinal.-Early life and education:...
who also preached the panagyric. Bishops Thomas William Muldoon
Catholic Bishops and Archbishops of Sydney
Sydney has had a Catholic Archbishop since 1842.-List of incumbents:# John Bede Polding OSB, 1842-1877.# Roger Bede Vaughan O.S.B., 1877-1883.# Patrick Francis Moran, 1884-1911.# Michael Kelly, 1911-1940.# Norman Thomas Gilroy, 1940-1971....
, (Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney), Kavanagh of Dunedin
John Patrick Kavanagh
John Patrick Kavanagh was the Fourth Catholic Bishop of Dunedin .-References:* , from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 1-Sep-10...
, Reginald Delargey (Auxiliary Bishop of Auckland), and Owen Snedden
Owen Snedden
Owen Noel Snedden was the Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Wellington, New Zealand . He was the first Auckland-born priest to be ordained a bishop.-Early life:...
(Auxiliary Bishop of Wellington) were also present.
He was interred in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch
Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, located in the city centre of Christchurch, New Zealand, commonly known as the Christchurch Basilica, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch and seat of the Bishop of Christchurch...
at the foot of the altar of Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
.
See also
- Catholic Hierarchy website, Bishop Edward Michael Joyce (retrieved 24 January 2011).