Laurence Sheil
Encyclopedia
Laurence Bonaventure Sheil (24 December 1815 - 1 March 1872) was an Australian clergyman and the third Bishop
of Adelaide
. Born in Ireland, Sheil moved to Victoria, Australia after becoming a Franciscan
priest. There, he served as an educator and administrator, before poor health saw him move to Ballarat as an archdeacon
. In 1866, he 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
, who would later become Australia's first saint. He died in March 1872, rescinding his excommunication of MacKillop on his deathbed.
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
.
, James Goold, Sheil was installed as Bishop of Adelaide on 16 September, that year.
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.
Although Sheil had been an effective educator in Victoria, his episcopacy was characterised by weak leadership and poor administration. 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. In the absence of effective leadership, clergy disunity became rife, with a factional grouping forming around the Franciscan priest Charles Horan. 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. Sheil, who was increasingly acting under Horan's influence, demoted Tenison Woods from his administrative position within the diocese, disbanded the Josephite novitiate
and brought the Sisters of St. Joseph directly under his control. In doing so, he removed Tenison Woods and MacKillop from their positions of influence within the order. MacKillop strongly objected, and in response, Sheil excommunicated her for disobedience. The excommunication prompted further disunity amongst South Australian Catholics, with letters criticising the Bishop in local papers. Prompted by these events, a group of Catholic laymen
wrote to Cardinal Alessandro Barnabò
, 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.
Throughout early 1872, Sheil's became steadily more ill. On his deathbead in Willunga, he rescinded his excommunication of MacKillop, claiming he had been betrayed by his advisors. He died of a carbuncle
on 1 March 1872.
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.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Adelaide
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia....
. Born in Ireland, Sheil moved to Victoria, Australia after becoming a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
priest. There, he served as an educator and administrator, before poor health saw him move to Ballarat as an archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
. In 1866, he 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
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
of Mary MacKillop
Mary MacKillop
Mary Helen MacKillop , also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, was an Australian Roman Catholic nun who, together with Father Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia with an emphasis on...
, who would later become Australia's first saint. He died in March 1872, rescinding his excommunication of MacKillop on his deathbed.
Early Life
Sheil was born on 24 December 1815 in Wexford, Ireland. From 1832, he attended the FranciscanFranciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
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
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and Carrickbeg
Carrickbeg
Carrickbeg is a village on the County Waterford side of the Waterford-Tipperary border in southern Ireland. Carrickbeg comprises that part of the town of Carrick-on-Suir on the southern side of the River Suir and hence in County Waterford.-History:...
, 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
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
. In 1866 he was chosen to replace Patrick Geoghegan
Patrick Geoghegan
Patrick Bonaventure Geoghegan, O.F.M. was a Roman Catholic clergyman who served firstly as Bishop of Adelaide, then briefly as Bishop of Goulburn, Australia....
as Bishop of Adelaide
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia....
.
Episcopacy
After being concecrated on 15 August 1866 by Bishop of MelbourneRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Erected initially in 1847 as the Diocese of Melbourne, a suffragan diocese of Archdiocese of Sydney, the diocese was elevated in 1874 as an archdiocese of the...
, James Goold, Sheil was installed as Bishop of Adelaide on 16 September, that year.
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
Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart
The Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, often called the Josephites , were founded in Penola, South Australia in 1866 by Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods....
in 1866 by Mary Mackillop
Mary MacKillop
Mary Helen MacKillop , also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, was an Australian Roman Catholic nun who, together with Father Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia with an emphasis on...
and Julian Tenison Woods
Julian Tenison Woods
Julian Edmund Tenison Woods was an English Roman Catholic priest and geologist, active in Australia. With Saint Mary MacKillop, he helped to found the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart at Penola in 1866....
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.
Although Sheil had been an effective educator in Victoria, his episcopacy was characterised by weak leadership and poor administration. His travels to Europe to recruit priests and attend the First Vatican Council
First Vatican Council
The First Vatican Council was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This twentieth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned...
meant that he spent less than two years of his six year reign in the diocese. In the absence of effective leadership, clergy disunity became rife, with a factional grouping forming around the Franciscan priest Charles Horan. 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. Sheil, who was increasingly acting under Horan's influence, demoted Tenison Woods from his administrative position within the diocese, disbanded the Josephite novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
and brought the Sisters of St. Joseph directly under his control. In doing so, he removed Tenison Woods and MacKillop from their positions of influence within the order. MacKillop strongly objected, and in response, Sheil excommunicated her for disobedience. The excommunication prompted further disunity amongst South Australian Catholics, with letters criticising the Bishop in local papers. Prompted by these events, a group of Catholic laymen
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
wrote to Cardinal Alessandro Barnabò
Alessandro Barnabò
Alessandro Barnabò was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Prefect of the Congregation Propaganda Fide.-Early life:Barnabò was born on 2 March 1801 in Foligno....
, 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.
Throughout early 1872, Sheil's became steadily more ill. On his deathbead in Willunga, he rescinded his excommunication of MacKillop, claiming he had been betrayed by his advisors. He died of a carbuncle
Carbuncle
A carbuncle is an abscess larger than a boil, usually with one or more openings draining pus onto the skin. It is usually caused by bacterial infection, most commonly Staphylococcus aureus. The infection is contagious and may spread to other areas of the body or other people...
on 1 March 1872.
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.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
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst is a Latin rite suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1865, covering the Central West and Orana regions of New South Wales, Australia...
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.
External links
- Sheil, Laurence Bonaventure at the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition
- Bishop Laurence Bonaventure Sheil, O.F.M. at catholic-hierarchy.org