Matthew Brodie
Encyclopedia
Matthew Joseph Brodie was the second Catholic bishop of Christchurch
, New Zealand
. He was appointed by Pope Benedict XV
on 27 November 1915 and died in office on 11 October 1943. He was the first New Zealander by birth to be made a Catholic bishop. He was noted for his interest in promoting the general well-being of all.
, New Zealand
in 1864. His parents were Irish immigrants to New Zealand. He was sent to Sydney for his secondary education at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill and he then trained as a priest at St Patrick's College, Manly where one of his professors was Michael Verdon
. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Auckland
in St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland
by Bishop Lenihan
on 20 December 1896.
at St Benedict's Church, Newton, Auckland
and then at the village of Puhoi
. He was the first Parish Priest at Waihi
. Brodie was at Waihi at the time of the 1912 Waihi miners' strike
and he made personal efforts which contributed to its settlement. He was effective because he was respected by all the parties. After leaving Waihi, he was Administrator at St Patrick's Cathedral
and then Parish Priest at Parnell. He was also latterly the Vicar general
of the Auckland Diocese.
by the Apostolic delegate, Cardinal Cerretti
, assisted by Archbishop Redwood
and Bishop Verdon
. His appointment there was received with joy. However, as the first secular bishop
in what had been regarded as a Marist
diocese, he had lengthy disputes with Marist superiors about the order's tenure of parishes. His relations with individual Marists, however, were at all times courteous.
Brodie was notable for his keen interest and support of Catholic education, especially of St Bede's College, Christchurch
. Brodie also supported Nazareth House
and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd at Mt Magdela, especially their orphanage of St Joseph. Brodie introduced the Carmelite nuns to Christchurch and he advanced the Holy Name Society, the Legion of Mary
and the Catholic Women's League
. He also encouraged the establishment of the Grail
movement for women. Brodie proved to be a popular, long-serving and hard-working prelate in Christchurch.
. He also supported the Order of St John
. Brodie, cooperating with the Anglican Archbishop West-Watson
, mediated to promote the settlement of the Tramway Strike of 1932. He met with the parties till dawn in working for a peaceful settlement.
and his Panagyric was preached by Archbishop O'Shea
. Bishop O'Neill
assisted at the Mass. Brodie was interred at Mt Magdela at the St John of God Chapel.
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 Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
on 27 November 1915 and died in office on 11 October 1943. He was the first New Zealander by birth to be made a Catholic bishop. He was noted for his interest in promoting the general well-being of all.
Early life
Brodie was born in CoromandelCoromandel, New Zealand
Coromandel is the name of a town and harbour on the western side of the Coromandel Peninsula, which is on the east coast of the North 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 1864. His parents were Irish immigrants to New Zealand. He was sent to Sydney for his secondary education at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill and he then trained as a priest at St Patrick's College, Manly where one of his professors was Michael Verdon
Michael Verdon
Michael Verdon was the 2nd Catholic Bishop of Dunedin .-Early life:Verdon was born in Liverpool, England on 19 December 1838 His father came from County Louth, Ireland and his mother came from County Kildare. He was a nephew of Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin, and a first cousin of Cardinal...
. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Auckland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland
The Latin Rite Catholic Diocese of Auckland is one of the two original dioceses in New Zealand. Although formally a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Wellington, both were erected on 20 June 1848...
in St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland
St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland
The Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph is the Cathedral of the Catholic Bishop of Auckland.-Origins:...
by Bishop Lenihan
George Michael Lenihan
George Michael Lenihan OSB was fifth Catholic Bishop of Auckland .-Early life:George Michael Lenihan was born in 1858 in London to Irish parents who died while he was a child. Aged 14, he entered the Benedictine College at St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate under the Abbot Alcock whose associate was...
on 20 December 1896.
Priesthood
Brodie first served as curateCurate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St Benedict's Church, Newton, Auckland
Newton, New Zealand
Newton is a small suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand, under the local governance of the Auckland City Council. It had a population of 837 in the 2001 census....
and then at the village of Puhoi
Puhoi
Puhoi is a settlement located approximately 50 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. Puhoi is probably a Maori word which may be translated as "Slow water"....
. He was the first Parish Priest at Waihi
Waihi
Waihi is a town in Hauraki District in the North Island of New Zealand, especially notable for its history as a gold mine town. It had a population of 4,503 at the 2006 census....
. Brodie was at Waihi at the time of the 1912 Waihi miners' strike
Waihi miners' strike
The Waihi miners' strike was a major strike action in 1912 by gold miners in the New Zealand town of Waihi. It is widely regarded as the most significant industrial action in the history of New Zealand's labour movement...
and he made personal efforts which contributed to its settlement. He was effective because he was respected by all the parties. After leaving Waihi, he was Administrator at St Patrick's Cathedral
St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland
The Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph is the Cathedral of the Catholic Bishop of Auckland.-Origins:...
and then Parish Priest at Parnell. He was also latterly the Vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Auckland Diocese.
Episcopacy
Brodie was ordained a bishop on 27 February 1916 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 the Apostolic delegate, Cardinal Cerretti
Bonaventura Cerretti
Bonaventura Cerretti was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura from 1931 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1925....
, assisted by Archbishop Redwood
Francis Redwood
Francis William Mary Redwood SM , was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wellington, Metropolitan of New Zealand.Redwood was born on 8 April 1839 on the Tixall estate, Staffordshire, England. In 1842 he sailed to New Zealand with his parents on the George Fyfe...
and Bishop Verdon
Michael Verdon
Michael Verdon was the 2nd Catholic Bishop of Dunedin .-Early life:Verdon was born in Liverpool, England on 19 December 1838 His father came from County Louth, Ireland and his mother came from County Kildare. He was a nephew of Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin, and a first cousin of Cardinal...
. His appointment there was received with joy. However, as the first secular bishop
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...
in what had been regarded as a Marist
Society of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
diocese, he had lengthy disputes with Marist superiors about the order's tenure of parishes. His relations with individual Marists, however, were at all times courteous.
Brodie was notable for his keen interest and support of Catholic education, especially of St Bede's College, Christchurch
St Bede's College, Christchurch
St. Bede's College is a Roman Catholic day and boarding school in Christchurch, New Zealand for boys aged 13 to 18 . St. Bede's is the oldest Roman Catholic Boys' College in New Zealand's South Island. It is also the only Catholic day and boarding college for boys in New Zealand's South Island....
. Brodie also supported Nazareth House
Nazareth House
Nazareth House, also known as St. Andrew's Parish House, is a historic building located at Rochester in Monroe County, New York. It is a three story, brick institutional building built in 1893 and enlarged in 1911. The original section is a three story, five bay, red brick structure in the...
and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd at Mt Magdela, especially their orphanage of St Joseph. Brodie introduced the Carmelite nuns to Christchurch and he advanced the Holy Name Society, the Legion of Mary
Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary is an association of Catholic laity who serve the Church on a voluntary basis. It was founded in Dublin, Ireland, as a Roman Catholic Marian Movement by layman Frank Duff. Today between active and auxiliary members there are in excess of 10 million members worldwide making it...
and 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,...
. He also encouraged the establishment of the Grail
Grail (women's movement)
The Grail is a community of about a thousand women from 24 countries, many different cultures and very different backgrounds and work situations. The Grail was started in 1921 as the Women of Nazareth by Fr. Jacques van Ginneken, a Dutch Jesuit...
movement for women. Brodie proved to be a popular, long-serving and hard-working prelate in Christchurch.
Public concern
As Bishop, Brodie always "showed himself in the front rank in any movement connected with the well-being of the community in general". This was especially in the context of the Great depressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. He also supported the Order of St John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
. Brodie, cooperating with the Anglican Archbishop West-Watson
Campbell West-Watson
Campbell West-Watson was successively an Anglican suffragan bishop, diocesan bishop and archbishop over a 40 year period during the first half of the 20th century....
, mediated to promote the settlement of the Tramway Strike of 1932. He met with the parties till dawn in working for a peaceful settlement.
Death
Brodie was a patient at Lewisham Hospital (later called Calvary Hospital) from April 1943 until his death on 11 October 1843, aged 79. His body lay in state on 13 October and thousands of passed through the Cathedral. Brodie's requiem mass was celebrated by Bishop ListonJames 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 his Panagyric was preached by Archbishop O'Shea
Thomas O'Shea (Archbishop)
Thomas O'Shea, SM was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Wellington, Metropolitan of New Zealand.He was born at San Francisco, California on 13 March 1870, the son of Edmond O'Shea, a miner, and his wife, Johanna Sullivan, both Irish-born, who had emigrated from Charleston, New Zealand. The family...
. Bishop O'Neill
Hugh John O'Neill
Hugh John O'Neill was the Roman Catholic coadjutor Bishop of Dunedin .-Early life:O'Neill was born in Dunedin on 29 June 1898, the son of Edward and Elizabeth O'Neill. The family moved to Mosgiel a few years later. He was educated by the Sisters of Mercy in Mosgiel and at the Christian Brothers...
assisted at the Mass. Brodie was interred at Mt Magdela at the St John of God Chapel.
See also
- Catholic Hierarchy website, Bishop Matthew Joseph Brodie (retrieved 21 January 2011).