CATHOLIC JUSTICE AND PEACE COMMISSION
1919-2006
Tributes to the Life and Ministry of Reverend Father Morgan Howe
Morgan Howe is not forgotten in the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry of Brisbane. In
the International Year of Older Persons Murri Ministry hosted an event in
Musgrave Park for our Elders. During the consultation with elders Aunty
Jane Arnold, since passed on herself, wished to invite older church
personnel who had joined herself and other elders in the times of
struggle, especially in the early seventies. Morgan Howe was among those
guests.
The wider circle of migaloo friends remember how Father Howe allowed his parish hall to be used for social justice gatherings, talks and discussions on the Acts which governed Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders apart from other citizens of Australia. In the same hall we learnt about Land Rights and our moral obligation to support those rights.
Father Morgan Howe
not only put the parish resources at the disposal of justice but he
produced written works to show his commitment. May his
commitment be rewarded. We thank him and bless him. Murri Ministry Aboriginal
Catholic Ministry Office I first met Morgan Howe when I was 16 years of age
attending the first of a series of lectures he was giving at the Aquinas
Library.It was a basement
library opposite the GPO.It
was 1948.I arrived early to
find this athletic young priest placing chairs around in preparation for
the evening. I witnessed what
I came to realise as one of his many strengths – that of being a
hands-on person. He was the Professor of Sociology at Banyo Seminary.
The meeting was the beginning of a 58 year friendship – a
friendship that I regard as one of the privileges of my life! Morgan was a multi-gifted person. He had a great intellect, a dynamic personality, and a great
storyteller with a mischievous sense of humour. He had a very compassionate nature. He saw the effect of injustice on his fellow human beings and
was deeply moved by it, so moved that it could arouse in him a just anger. In 1950, I started working full-time for the YCW till
my marriage in 1957. This
afforded me the opportunity to witness Morgan’s strengths.
He was a great lecturer. He
was generous with his time and his vision of Church was ultimately
endorsed by Vatican II. He
saw the role of the laity fully engaged in the world pursuing social
justice as fundamental to the mission of the Church And his spirituality
of “co-creation, pro-creation and re-creation” imbued us with a vision
which helped us to understand our lives as Christians and empowered us to
engage in the world – human dignity. In 1953, Morgan transferred to Boonah as Parish
Priest. In spite of the
distance and new demands, he remained generous with his time and continued
to provide lectures for our training days and schools. In 1975, the O’Halloran family moved to Greenbank.
The previous year, Morgan was transferred as parish Priest at
Indooroopilly. Soon after
those two moves, the Whitlam Government was sacked by the
Governor-General. It resulted
in much division in the wider community, but it also divided people in the
Church between those who supported this action and those who opposed it.
I believe this was a dissipation of energy in relation to the
Church’s mission in the world. As a result of a phone call to Morgan, the Brisbane Social
Justice Group was formed. Once
again, with Morgan’s generosity, commitment and Parish resources, this
group was able to act as a forerunner to the Catholic Justice and Peace
Commission of the Archdiocese of Brisbane which was established in 1985,
of which Morgan was the first Chairperson. In 1988, I became the Commission’s first Executive
Officer, once again, with the great advantage of working with Morgan.
Probably one of the highlights of my time with Morgan on the
Commission was in 1991, the centenary of Rerum Novarum, the
Commission, with the enthusiastic support of the then Speaker of
Parliament, Mr Jim Fouras, initiated our first annual Parliamentary Forum.
The theme for this forum was The centenary of Rerum Novarum and
Morgan gave the appropriate address based on Centessimus Annus. These are some of the events that formed the
background to a very deep and valued friendship with a very remarkable
man. In his latter years,
with the loss of his eyesight and failing health, Morgan remained an
enthusiastic, enjoyable, entertaining and uncomplaining companion.
In alluding to his loss of sight, he said of his eyes that “they
served me well.” To have
known Morgan has been a tremendous privilege, a great delight and an
inspiration. Brian
O’Halloran In
the mid eighties some time, I was getting concerned that we weren't
hearing much from the church about what I called social and environmental
issues and went to discuss this with Fr Morgan as my parish priest. He
told me that my theology would inform my conscience on these and other
issues and encouraged me to do some study around the subjects and
especially to "maintain the rage". I
have attempted to do both ever since. His
memory lives on in those whom he encouraged. Michael
Bennett I
first met Fr Morgan Howe in 1974 when I began working with Action for
World Development and so connecting with Roman Catholics who were
committed to social justice and liberated by the influence of Vatican
II . I quickly began to appreciate the his scholarship and dedication
to a practical teaching ministry shaped by the rich tradition of Catholic
Social Doctrine. I observed also how he was a figure of inspiration and
guidance to lay, clergy and religious colleagues of mine as we developed
partnerships of social action in the Bjelke-Petersen era. Morgan
Howe was particularly influential in the planning and implementation of
church sponsorship in the formation of the Foundation for Aboriginal and
Islander Action (FAIRA) so strongly endorsed by the Queensland Catholic
Bishops. He understood that the institutional racism embodied in the
Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Acts must be vehemently
challenged and opposed if the claim of the 1971 Synod of Bishops that
"social justice is a constituent element of the proclamation of the
Gospel" were to be practised. All of us who were part of the
ecumenical social justice networks from the 1970s on are in
debt to Morgan Howe. Dr
Noel Preston AM Father Morgan Bourke Howe Eulogy given at Vigil Mass
of Thanksgiving Holy Family Church Indooroopilly 7th June 2006 at 7:30pm I count it a great privilege to have been asked to
reflect on the life of Father Morgan Bourke Howe. I do this on behalf of the Holy Family Parish
community, conscious that each one of us has our own rich memories of this
great man. Father Howe was born on May 8, 1919. He was a second generation Australian; all of his
grandparents migrated from Ireland – from Clare and Tipperary –
towards the end of the 19th century. His mother’s family name
was Bourke. I know only a little about his early years. His
father was a school teacher. The young Morgan Howe spent some of his youth
around Dagun, a small town in the Mary Valley of Queensland. After he had completed his schooling he became a
school teacher himself before beginning his studies for the priesthood. Father Howe was a member of the second last group of
candidates for the priesthood from Queensland, who completed all of their
studies in NSW, at the seminaries at Springwood and Manly. This was just
before Banyo Seminary opened. He was ordained in July 1945. Father Howe came to Holy Family Parish as Parish
Priest in January 1974, and he retired in July 1998. The nearly 25 years
he spent here constituted almost half of his active ministry as a priest.
He came to Indooroopilly from Boonah, where he had been Parish Priest for
twenty years, after serving as a member of the teaching staff of Banyo
Seminary for seven years. At Banyo, one of his main areas of specialisation was
the Church’s teaching on Social Justice. Father Howe was a much loved Parish Priest at Boonah.
He delighted in the richness and variety of the people of the land. He
developed interests in bee-keeping and in growing camellias. One thing he
gained from his time at Boonah was a large collection of anecdotes –
amusing and instructive – about the many characters he came to know
there and their idiosyncrasies. We have heard many of these in his
homilies – always amusing and to the point. He had a lively sense of humour and I recall his
hearty laugh, prompted readily by anything amusing – including laughs
against himself. In his character and in his ministry as Parish
Priest, Father Howe was gentle and unassuming. He was very much a man of
the people, with no pretence, no façade. He extended the same warm welcome to everyone,
without distinction, and he took a genuine, caring interest in each person
as an individual. He was dearly loved by his parishioners at
Indooroopilly, as he had been by those in Boonah. Many visitors comment about the special nature of the
parish life at Indooroopilly. We tend to take it for granted that so many people
share in the parish ministry and accept responsibility for the faith
community. This is a good time for us to recall, with gratitude,
that it is the way it is because of Father Howe’s leadership and
nurturing. When he came to Indooroopilly in 1974, it was still relatively
early in the times after the Second Vatican Council. Though he had been
ordained seventeen years before Pope John XXIII opened Vatican II in 1962,
Father Howe adapted to the outcomes of the Council and their
reverberations throughout the Church with remarkable ease.
He was enthusiastic for the reforms brought about by the Council,
particularly in matters of increased participation of the laity and in
issues of Social Justice. He stated his views
on the role of the laity in the Holy Family Parish News of April 1977; ‘The
Theology of the Church is quite explicit. Every member of the People of
God is fully a member. There is no provision in the Church’s
constitution for associate members, honorary members, or sleeping
partners. That means that each and every one of us must, in their own way,
accept a full quota of the responsibility that rests on the Christian’s
shoulders.’ And, with regard to Social Justice, his parishioners
heard Father Howe proclaim many times that commitment to Social Justice is
an essential, constitutive part of the Gospel. His wonderful appreciation of the increased role of
the laity in the teachings of Vatican II made Father Howe very easy to
work with and very open to initiatives from parish members. He would encourage those who lamented the slowness of
implementation of the reforms, and the resistance to change by many
members of the Church, by recalling that, typically it had always taken
fifty or more years to bring about significant change in the Church, His commitment to these reforms made the second half
of the 1970’s an exciting time in Holy Family Parish: Father Howe gave
enthusiastic support to the Parish Council and to the various committees
that were set up under his guidance to involve as many as possible in the
Mission of the local Church; these included Committees for Liturgy,
Education, Youth, Social Justice, Ecumenism, the Caring Committee, and the
Finance Committee. Eventually, the Archdiocese accepted responsibility
and set up the Archdiocesan Commission for Justice and Peace. Meanwhile, the Social Justice Group established in
Holy Family Parish with Father Howe’s encouragement, about 1982, has
continued and has expanded to embrace other parishes and other
denominations; it operates strongly today as the Ecumenical Social Justice
Group (Western Suburbs) Inc and Father Howe was its patron. Father Howe had a great love for and a deep
understanding of the Scriptures and he was dedicated to opening the minds
of his parishioners to their richness. At every mass he celebrated, his homily was a rich
source for reflection and inspiration as he explained the readings from
Scripture, opened them up for us and challenged us to apply them in our
lives. This he did at the week day masses as well as at
those on the weekend. Looking beyond his parish ministry, I am reminded of
the way Father Howe gently took the initiative to nurture developments
that he recognised as important before the main body of the Church was
ready to take them on. He persisted, often through “dry times”, while
there seemed little support and, sometimes, strong opposition. Eventually, when their time of wide acceptance had
come, he graciously and generously gave his support to those commissioned
to carry on what he had begun and nurtured. Father Howe’s contributions to the wider Church in
this way extended especially over Justice and Peace, Adult Education and
Aborigines. I have already mentioned some of his contributions to
Justice and Peace. Another important contribution in this area was his
role as Chairman of the Archdiocesan Research Group. This was set up by
the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, to advise Archbishop Rush on the
complex justice and political issues that arose rather often during the
period about 1976-80. Father Howe was always a strong promoter of Adult
Education. When he was a young member of the teaching staff at
Banyo he gave unstinting support to the Newman Society at the University
of Queensland during the1950’s. He gave many public lunch hour lectures on Social
Justice and on topical issues arranged by the Newman Society. He also gave talks to Newman Society study weekends. A generation of University Students from those days
were stirred by his enthusiasm for the writings of G.K. Chesterton and of
Hilaire Belloc. He also enjoyed Newman Society social gatherings. I
recall a Xmas Party he attended where he suddenly disappeared about 11:30
pm. He was found later in a quiet corner where he paced up and down as he
read the Daily Office that had to be completed before mid-night. Even while he was at Boonah, he continued to give
regular lecture series in Brisbane on Catholic Social Justice Teachings. For many years, he was Chairman of the Adult
Education Committee of Catholic Education for the Archdiocese. Eventually, under his leadership, the Institute of
Faith was established, a fulltime Adult Education Coordinator was
appointed and structures were created to develop this aspect of the
Church’s Mission into the diverse programme it is today. Long before it became accepted that there are major
issues of injustice in Australia’s treatment of its indigenous people,
Father Howe was working to advance their cause. In 1977, he wrote the book “Aborigines and
Christians”, helped by Coralie Kingston and Father Dick Pascoe. I
understand that book is held in high regard by indigenous people
themselves. An attempt was made by Holy Family Parish Council in
1978 to persuade the Archdiocese to make a direct donation of church land
to the Aboriginal people, to demonstrate that the Church truly supported
the aspirations of a dispossessed race. The Archdiocesan Pastoral Council watered down the
motion from HFP Council to such extent that it would have been
ineffective. Father Howe and the Chairman (the late Robert Patterson)
insisted that the amended motion be rescinded. This is just one example of Father Howe’s support
for aborigines and for the Parish Council; and his willingness to stand
out against majority opinions. Through all of this, as he contributed so much to the
wider Church, Father Howe’s dedication to the parish continued, total
and unreserved. He did not talk about himself, but his holiness was
evident in the way he lived his commitment as a Christian and as a priest.
He lived a life of simplicity, unconcerned about material comfort. A number of younger priests stayed with Father Howe
in Indooroopilly at different times while they were going through various
transitions. One of these
shared with me that his vocation to the priesthood had been awakened by
his observation of the way Father Howe lived his ministry – he could see
in him “Christ going about ministering to the people.” And this dedication continued right up to his
retirement, despite difficulties with deteriorating eyesight that he bore
with patience and dignity. Despite failing health in recent years, Father
Howe’s interest in and concern for his parishioners and their families
never waned. Those who visited him at Canossa, in hospital, or at
St Paul de Chartres Nursing Home, marvelled at his memory of those whose
life he had touched in Indooroopilly and Boonah parishes. Father Howe was truly a great model for us in his
ageing process. He recognised and accepted the progressive limitations
that came with advancing years, all along the way; and he adapted to them
with serenity. These reflections have been, necessarily, personal
and selective. I am sure that there are many here who could add
further dimensions and colours to our appreciation of Father Howe, and of
his ministry to the parish family and to the wider Church. Those of us who knew Father Howe will always remember
with love and gratitude; We give thanks for all that Father Howe has done
for us; We give thanks for all that Father Howe has been
for us. Eulogy prepared by Colin Apelt. With assistance from Sr Patricia Buckley, Rosemary
Probyn, Dr Ron Hurst and Brian McGrath. Morgan Howe was the
best lecturer Banyo Seminary ever had.
Before he studies for the priesthood he trained as a teacher, and
he taught in small country schools. His
training gave him skill in presentation and communication.
Perhaps, it simply developed abilities he already possessed.
He came to Banyo direct from ordination, young, confident,
convinced of his own ideas. He
was assigned to lecture on Ethics, a two year course in Scholastic
philosophy applied to moral decision-making.
The texts were in Latin, boring in any language.
Morg, as he was always known, gave a passing nod to them and spent
most of his time on more relevant matters – in English, his own
sparkling, entertaining, intriguing English. He introduced his
students to the political and economic situation in contemporary Australia
and measured this against Catholic social doctrine – from Rerum Novarum
of Leo XIII to the then telling Social Justice statements of the
Australian bishops. To ground
his students in the material these documents dealt with he taught a six
months course in Economics and some on the elements of Sociology. Morg’s lectures
were never dull. He had a
quirkish sense of humour, delivered with a half grin and a gleam in his
eye. Had we known then, his
heavy glasses were a hint of the tragic blindness that eventually overtook
him. He rarely made a
statement without illustrating it with an imaginary, even fantastic,
example. It was always
outrageously funny, but it made his point exactly and unforgettably.
There was no text book for his material, except for the Economics.
No one had written what he thought.
So, late at night and early in the morning he printed notes on a
primitive Gestetner. He spoke
to these notes, not from them… I can still, sixty years later, not read
an encyclical without sensing the sharp smell of the Gestetner fluid. Along with other
brilliant priests on the staff, with whom he enjoyed hilarious evenings in
the Common Room, he was an inspiring model for the young men in training
for the priesthood. When he
left Banyo, he was an ideal pastor, while developing further his Christian
social interests. Dr Tom Boland
