James Dominic Murray (1847-1914) was a Roman Catholic priest in

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, Australia. He was the Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown (a precursor role of Bishop of Cairns) from 28 March 1898 to his death on 13 February 1914.

Early life

Murray was born on 2 January 1847 in

Mullingar Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, with a population of 20,928 in the 2016 census. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act 1543 proclaimed Westmeat ...

, County Westmead, Ireland. He was educated by the Christian Brothers and at St Finians Seminary at

Navan Navan ( ; , meaning "the Cave") is the county town of County Meath, Ireland. In 2016, it had a population of 30,173, making it the tenth largest settlement in Ireland. It is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Blackwater, around 50&nb ...

Religious life

Murray entered the

Order of Saint Augustine The Order of Saint Augustine, ( la, Ordo Fratrum Sancti Augustini) abbreviated OSA, is a religious mendicant order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were fo ...

and completed his studies in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. He was ordained a priest on 22 December 1887. He served at St Monica's Priory in

Hoxton Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, England. As a part of Shoreditch, it is often considered to be part of the East End – the historic core of wider East London. It was historically in the county of Middlesex until 1889. It li ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England. He arrived in North Queensland in 1884 serving in the

Vicariate Apostolic of Cooktown The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns is a diocese of the Catholic Church located in the state of Queensland, Australia. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Brisbane. The diocese was erected as a vicariate apostolic in 1877 and w ...

(the precursor of the Diocese of Cairns) for several years before being appointed Pastor and Prior in

Echuca Echuca ( ) is a town on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River in Victoria, Australia. The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in New South Wales. Echuca is the administrative centre and largest ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. On 28 March 1898, Murray was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown (a precursor role of Bishop of Cairns) and his consecration took place in Bendigo Cathedral on 3 July 1898. He held the office to his death on 13 February 1914. Circa 1904, he relocated the headquarters of the vicariate from

Cooktown Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repai ...

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

, as Cairns was becoming the more populous and more prosperous town.

Later life

Murray died in Cairns on 13 February 1914. His remains were taken to Cooktown on Wednesday 18 February 1914, where a requiem mass was held in St Mary's Catholic Church followed by his burial in

Cooktown Cemetery Cooktown Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery at Charlotte Street, Cooktown, Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1874 to 1920. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 8 April 1997. History Cooktown Cemetery, ...

References

He was the Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown (a precursor role of Bishop of Cairns) from 28 March 1898 to his

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, James Roman Catholic bishops of Cairns 1914 deaths 1847 births