Ordination Day 1917

Peter Maurice "Fr. Maurice" Horgan (1890-1950)

Fr Peter Maurice Horgan on the day of his Ordination surrounded by family members
Adelaide, 30 November 1917

Peter Maurice Horgan was the youngest child, the last of the ten born at Tarlee in South Australia to Daniel Horgan and Julia Evans. He grew up on the farm at Gulnare, further north, after the Tarlee farm was sold when he was still a toddler. By the time he was old enough for secondary school, his parents sent him to Adelaide to be educated at the Christian Brothers College.

Those who aspired to be Catholic priests studied at Manly in NSW and so it was that he journeyed to St Patrick’s College to prepare for his ordination. It had been many years since a priest had been ordained in South Australia, so the occasion in 1917 was eagerly awaited.[1] The families and a large congregation gathered on Friday morning 30th November to watch and pray for the new priests. An extensive article detailing the ceremonies was reported the following week. [2] A summary of that article is below.

The Ceremony

Two priests, Rev. Fathers Maurice Horgan and William Kain, were ordained at St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral. Traditionally, priests for Adelaide were ordained in St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney. The decision to hold the ordination in Adelaide allowed local friends and relatives to attend. Special seats were reserved for the friends and relatives, as well as Christian and Marist Brothers and their pupils where these two young men had attended school. The cathedral was full, with many attendees standing.

His Grace the Archbishop celebrated the Mass of St. Andrew the Apostle and performed the ordination ceremony. Rev. Father Gatzmeyer assisted, and several other priests, including those from the Port Augusta diocese, were present. The ordinands participated in traditional rituals, including the Litany of the Saints, imposition of hands, recitation of prayers, and anointing with the oil of catechumens.

The newly ordained priests recited the Canon of the Mass and the Apostles' Creed with the Archbishop. They then received Communion and the blessing from the Archbishop. The ceremony concluded with the Last Gospel. After the conclusion of the Mass, the mothers of the new priests and their relatives along with most of the congregation approached the communion rails to receive blessings from the newly ordained priests.

Ordination commemoration card

At home

Father Horgan being the first priest ordained from the Spalding district, celebrated the event on the following Sunday in his home parish. He said Mass at 11 o'clock and gave his blessing to the people. There was dinner afterwards at the Institute and presentations on behalf of the Spalding and Yacka congregations.

Father Peter Maurice Horgan led a life full of service as detailed on the Archdiocese of Adelaide biography page at this link.[3]

When he died in 1950, the parishioners of Colonel Light Gardens published an extensive tribute to him in the Southern Cross newspaper which can be read in full here [4] or viewed on this page Tributes to Father Peter Maurice Horgan.

Front and back scan of Memorial Card

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Notes

Photo: thanks to 3rd cousin Felicity Horgan for a copy of the original

Memorial card - private Horgan collection

Relationship to author 1st cousin 2x removed (grandfather Horgan's 1st cousin)

References

[1]1917 'CATHOLIC NEWS.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 23 November, p. 13. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166984461#

[2]1917 'ORDINATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD.', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 7 December, p. 13 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/166984622

[3]Biography of Father Peter Maurice Horgan https://adelaide.catholic.org.au/view-biography?guid=16207

[4]1950 'A FATHER IS MOURNED BY HIS FAMILY', Southern Cross (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 28 July, p. 1. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/167730621#

This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin