|
During his twelve years as Bishop of Rockhampton and later as Archbishop of Brisbane, Francis Roberts Rush strove to bring alive the doctrine that the people are the Church. His episcopate in Rockhampton Diocese – from 1961-1974 – covered the period of the Second Vatican Council and its immediate aftermath. Bishop Rush was quick to implement the decisions of the council in his own diocese, in particular, to ensure that the voices of all members of the diocesan family were heard in diocesan affairs.
Francis Rush was born in Townsville in September 1916, the youngest of four sons of Irish-born parents (his father from Galway, his mother from Tralee, County Kerry). His schooling was with the Sisters of Mercy at Townsville and the Christian Brothers at Gregory Terrace, Brisbane and Mt Carmel College, Charters Towers.
He started his studies for the priesthood early in 1933 at St Columba’s College, Springwood, NSW. Towards the end of 1934 he went to Rome’s Propaganda College. He obtained the degrees of Bachelor of Philosophy and Licentiate of Sacred Theology.
With his brother, Father Ormond Rush, he was holidaying in Ireland when war broke out. He returned to Townsville and joined the staff of the Sacred Heart Cathedral, serving there until 1944. During the war he was one of a team of hard-working priests, under the direction of Bishop Hugh Ryan, who supplemented the work of the military chaplains in a Townsville crowded with servicemen.
His other appointments were Assistant Priest, Mundingburra (Townsville) 1944-50, Assistant Priest, Ingham 1950-54, Parish Priest, Abergowrie 1954-57, Parish Priest, Ingham 1957 until his appointment in 1961 as Bishop of Rockhampton.
On Wednesday night, 8th February 1961, Bishop Rush was episcopally ordained in St Joseph’s Cathedral (he was the second Bishop of Rockhampton to be consecrated in his own cathedral – James Duhig being the first) by the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop de Furstenberg.
The establishment of the Diocesan Development Fund, the formation of a Priests’ Senate, the Diocesan Pastoral Council, Parish Councils, Parents and Friends Associations, the Education Council and the Central Education Fund were a few of his many achievements.
Bishop Rush’s appointment as Archbishop of Brisbane (in succession to Archbishop Patrick O’Donnell who was then retiring) was made on 6th March 1973. He retired in Brisbane in 1991 and died there in 2001. |
