James William Gleeson (24 December 1920 – 21 March 2000) was an Australian clergyman and the sixth Catholic Archbishop of

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

. He was the first South Australian priest to become Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide.

Early life

James William Gleeson was born on 24 December 1920 in Balaklava, north of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. His early education was in Balaklava, attending a Josephite school before going to boarding school at Sacred Heart College in Somerton Park, South Australia, a Marist Brothers college.Rice 2001. Gleeson's studies for the priesthood were undertaken at Corpus Christi College in Werribee, Victoria, and he was ordained by Archbishop Matthew Beovich in Adelaide's St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral on 24 July 1945. After serving as an assistant priest in the cathedral parish for a year, Beovich sent Gleeson to a teacher's college in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

for a year, and in 1952 appointed him Director of Catholic Education for the archdiocese. In 1958, Gleeson received

Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning British monarch's official birthday by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are present ...

, becoming a companion of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

(CMG). Cited for the award was his work with young people, both as Director of Catholic Education and through his participation with organisations dealing with the education and welfare of students.Press 1991, p. 215.

Episcopacy

After suffering a period of bad health, in November 1956 Matthew Beovich requested that he receive an auxiliary bishop.

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

appointed Gleeson to the position, and he was

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

by Beovich on 21 May 1957, becoming Adelaide's first South Australian Catholic bishop. To Gleeson, Beovich delegated responsibility for

Catholic Action Catholic Action is the name of groups of lay Catholics who advocate for increased Catholic influence on society. They were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic countries under anti-clerical regimes such as Spain, Ita ...

movements and Catholic radio and television, and he eventually came to chair a number of diocesan committees and councils. The Archbishop also tasked him with the ordination of new priests and parish visitation. However, the most important parts of the diocesan administration, such as financial and policy matters, remained under Beovich's control.Laffin 2008, p.226. In July 1964, Gleeson was appointed coadjutor archbishop, in effect naming him as Beovich's successor. Beovich retired on 1 May 1971, making Gleeson the first South Australian priest to become Archbishop of Adelaide. On 20 March 2000, Archbishop Gleeson died as the result of a heart attack. His funeral was held at St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral. The Catholic school Gleeson College is named in his honour.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gleeson, James William 1920 births 2000 deaths Participants in the Second Vatican Council Roman Catholic archbishops of Adelaide People from Balaklava, South Australia 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Australia People educated at Sacred Heart College, Adelaide