John Hutchinson (1837-1897) was a Roman Catholic priest. From 1884 to 1897 he was

Vicar Apostolic A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

and

Bishop of Cooktown A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia.

Early life

Hutchinson was born on 2 January 1837 in

Thomastown Thomastown (), historically known as Grennan, is a town in County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland. It is a market town along a stretch of the River Nore which is known for its salmon and trout, with a number of ...

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...

, Ireland, the son of James Hutchinson and Mary (née Cummings).

Religion life

Hutchison entered the

Augustinian Order Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

in 1861 and was ordained a priest on 30 October 1865. Father Hutchinson served for some years in the Augustinian Mission of St Monica, 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. I ...

in the

East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

. In 1872 he was appointed first Prior of the newly appointed Novitiate and Home of Studies, St. Augustine's, Rathfarmham, near

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

. At the provincial chapter of his order held in Dublin in 1883, Father Hutchinson was unanimously elected Prior-Provincial of the Irish Augustinian Province. In January 1884, he was appointed by

Papal brief A papal brief or breve is a formal document emanating from the Pope, in a somewhat simpler and more modern form than a papal bull. History The introduction of briefs, which occurred at the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Eugene IV (3 Marc ...

as Vicar-Apostolic of the Vicariate of Cooktown in

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 repairs ...

Far North Queensland Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf C ...

, Australia. Hutchison left immediately for Cooktown accompanied by Fathers O'Byrne and Murrayn. In 1885 he assisted at the Plenary Council of the Australia Bishops held in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. In 1887 the role of Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown was raised by the Pope to the status of a Bishop. On 28 August 1887 Hutchinson was consecrated as Bishop by Cardinal Patrick Moran in St Mary's Cathedral in

. The success of the Vicariate of Cooktown demonstrated his zeal and administrative ability. In 1888 he invited the

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...

to establish a community in Cooktown where a new convent was erected at a cost of £65,000. Under Hutchinson, many new churches were established.

Later life

In February 1897 Hutchison contracted

dengue fever Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. These may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characterist ...

and never fully recovered. In June 1897 he undertook a journey travelling with the Redemptorist Fathers' Mission, which caused the "utter collapse" of his health. Hutchinson died in Cooktown on 28 October 1897. A

requiem mass A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

and funeral was held for him in Cooktown. Other requiem mass ceremonies also held in St Stephen's Cathedral in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

and also in

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hutchinson, John (bishop) 1837 births 1897 deaths 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Australia 19th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests Roman Catholic bishops of Cairns Christian clergy from County Kilkenny People from Thomastown