Matthew Gibney

The Most Reverend
Matthew Gibney
3rd Roman Catholic Bishop

Bishop Matthew Gibney
Province Sydney
Diocese Perth
Installed 1 November 1886[1]
Term ended 14 May 1910
Predecessor Martin Griver
Successor Patrick Clune
Orders
Ordination 14 June 1925 (Priest)[2]
Consecration 23 January 1887 (Bishop)[1]
Personal details
Born (1837-11-01)1 November 1837
Killeshandra, Cavan, Ireland [2]
Died 22 June 1925(1925-06-22) (aged 87)
Perth, Western Australia
Buried St Mary's Cathedral, Perth
Nationality Irish/Australian
Denomination Roman Catholic Church
Occupation Roman Catholic bishop
Profession Cleric
Alma mater Catholic Missionary College of All Hallows, Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland

Matthew Gibney (1 November 1835 in Killeshandra, Cavan, Ireland – 22 June 1925 in Perth, Western Australia), an Australian metropolitan bishop, was the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Perth, serving from 1886 until 1910.

Gibney gave Australian bushranger Ned Kelly his last rites following a shoot out at Glenrowan, Victoria in 1880.[2]

Early years

Gibney studied for the priesthood at the preparatory seminary at Stillorgan and from 1857 at the Catholic Missionary College of All Hallows, Drumcondra, Dublin. He was ordained priest in 1863 and arrived in Perth, Western Australia later that year.

On a trip to the colonies on the east coast of Australia, Gibney was travelling by train between Benalla and Albury when at Glenrowan, he heard of the Siege of Glenrowan and left the train. Gibney tended to the injured Kelly, heard his confession and gave him the last rites.[2][3]

Bishop of Perth

In January 1887, Gibney was consecrated as the Bishop of Perth. His episcopate was marked by a number of poor investment decisions as the diocese purchased shops, offices, houses and a hotel in Perth as well as a newspaper, exerting editorial influence by banning the publication of horse racing information; leading to the paper's eventual demise.[2] As the diocese's debts mounted, Gibney was forced to resign in May 1910.[2]

Gibney died of cancer on 22 June 1925 and was buried in St Mary's Cathedral.

Exhumation

During restoration work in the cathedral from 2003 to 2006, the brick and plaster crypt containing the coffins of Gibney and Bishop Martin Griver were discovered by archaeologists under the floorboards of the cathedral.[4][5]

References

  1. 1 2 "Bishop Matthew Gibney". The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. 20 February 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Callaghan, V. E. "Gibney, Matthew (1835–1925)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  3. "Father Gibney at Glenrowan". The Argus (Melbourne). 19 July 1880. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  4. "Ned Kelly's bishop's tomb found under Cathedral pews". Catholic News. 16 October 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  5. Laurie, Tiffany (14 October 2006). "Cathedral reveals the secret of its lost bishops". The West Australian. p. 3.

Further reading

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Martin Griver
3rd Catholic Bishop of Perth
1886  1910
Succeeded by
Patrick Clune
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