A SPANISH BISHOP IN COLONIAL

Odhran O'Brien, Unearthed: The Life of a Spanish missionary priest who became a bishop in colonial Western Australia, 1814-1886, Strathfield: St Paul's, 2014. 284pp. $35.95pb. $39.95hb. Reflections by Robert M. Andrews

Whether the head of a 'sectarian snake' or the Remarkably, there is yet to be a definitive insignificant contributor to the rise and history of New Norcia, Australia's only development of an unspiritual 'sunburnt monastic town, but other areas of Western country', the positive aspects and significant Australia's unique Catholic history, contributions of religion on Australian history dominated as it was by Spanish Catholicism, remain misunderstood and neglected within have begun to be uncovered. Such is the case mainstream Australian historiography. Despite with Odhran O'Brien's new study of the life the work of historians such as Stuart Piggin and times of the Spanish missionary bishop, and, more recently, Michael Gladwin, it remains Martin Griver, a prelate who governed the a continual battle for the sacred elements of diocese from 1862 until his death in 1886 Australian colonial history to become more a and who, until recently, had been largely part of the largely secular narratives associated forgotten to historical memory. with the rise of Australian nationhood. Indeed, Intentionally obvious, 'unearthed' is an apt there still exist remarkable—but mostly verb for O'Brien's study of Griver's life, for in unknown—tales of the way faith played a 2007 Griver's remains (along with those of his dominant role in nineteenth-century successor, Bishop ) were Australian society. rediscovered during a major archaeological dig In regards to Catholicism, the sectarian prior to major renovations to St Mary's elements of Irish Catholic life understandably Cathedral, eventually to be placed in a new dominate narratives. It is, however, easy to cathedral crypt where Perth's Catholic forget that other nationalities and cultures archbishops now lie. As the author documents have played important roles in Australian his own role in these excavations, the Catholic history. The religious history of discovery of Griver's remains are a remarkable- Australia's Western colony, Western and tangible-insight into the life of this most Australia, is an example of this surprising interesting and important colonial figure. There diversity. There—an outgrowth of a is even evidence that points to one of those worldwide missionary movement among all to rare examples in Church history: namely, Catholics in the nineteenth-century—a of an ecclesiastical administrator who Spanish, Benedictine style of Catholicism combined diocesan governance with genuine planted an unusual continental element into sanctity. West Australian Catholicism. More Born in Granollers, Catalonia, on 11 successful than the English Benedictine November 1814, Martin Giver came from a mission in Sydney led by Joseph Bede modest family who earned their living in Polding, the monastery of New Norcia- agricultural work associated with the local established in 1847 became a domineering winemaking industry. Excelling as a seminarian force in nineteenth-century West Australian in Barcelona during the 1830s, Griver Catholicism and, by default, a major influence nonetheless struggled to find an ordaining on colonial West Australian society. bishop amid a politically volatile anti-clerical

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Spanish climate, where it was government welfare of Aborigines (whom he referred to as policy to restrict the number of ordinations. 'Australians' [p.74]), Griver, along with Serra Waiting in uncertainty, Griver furthered his and Salvado, planted a distinctly Spanish- education by obtaining degrees in philosophy Benedictine style of Catholic piety in the West. and medicine-the latter proving invaluable for Among a small and mostly Irish-Catholic milieu, his future missionary vocation. Finally it was an odd combinations of traditions. But ordained on 18 December 1847, Griver— Griver, despite being Spanish, seems to have influenced by the witness of two travelling shown a cultural perspicuity that was well Spanish Benedictine prelates from the new and suited to the native and planted cultures he fledgling West Australian colony, José María moved within; indeed, was more suited than Benito Serra and , who were his own diocesan superior, Serra, whose in Spain to recruit missionaries—decided in preoccupation with planting a Spanish- 1849 to dedicate his priesthood to the ecclesial Benedictine vision in Western Australia at needs of the colony of Western Australia, times neglected the pressing pastoral needs rather than his homeland. Feeling he had been of his community. Griver's development as a called by God to leave his native Catalonia, pastorally dedicated priest, in addition to being Griver sailed for Western Australia with a group a reliable and careful diocesan administrator of thirty-nine missionaries recruited by Serra (maintaining diocesan records and acting as and Salvado. They arrived in on 29 diocesan treasurer) was rewarded in the 1850s December 1849. by increasing levels of trust and authority Obrien's book demonstrates that religious being delegated to him. By late 1859, following history is frequently about more than simply a breakdown in diocesan administration by the history of a denomination. Thus his Serra, whose authoritarian nature had alienated narrative is scattered with detailed references both the Irish Sisters of Mercy and Salvado to the multiple political and social contexts (who had successfully petitioned Rome to affecting Catholics both in Spain, Europe and, separate New Norcia from Perth's jurisdiction), by default, the British colonies in Australia. Griver had become not only Vicar-General, but Thus Griver emerged from a Spain divided by acting administrator of the diocese following traditionalists and anti-clerical radicals to a Serra's departure to Rome to contest the colony, though technically a product of a post- separation of New Norcia. He would, however, reform Britain that in theory gave preference never return, leaving Griver initially as interim to no single Church, remained imbued with a administrator, by 1862 apostolic administrator social structure that at times gave unofficial and finally, eight years later, as bishop. partiality to the Church of England over Roman Though as a bishop Griver would govern Catholicism. Moreover, when Griver arrived in Perth for sixteen years, his tenure was, in effect, Western Australia, he found himself immersed of more than two decades duration. Though in a complicated dispute between the Bishop not initially Rome's choice for the see of Perth, of Perth, John Brady, and Serra over issues he was eventually consecrated in Rome on 12 related to personality, pecuniary concerns and June 1870, holding back—if only for a time— administrative differences. Griver, supportive the rising Irish dominance of the wider of Serra—who was, in turn, supported by Australian episcopate. Nonetheless, despite Rome in the dispute with Brady—became the interim nature of his ministry, for the first known for his competence and loyalty amid eight years of his leadership Griver proved the chaos—both as a priest, doctor, and as a himself to be a competent and stable leader of reliable diocesan administrator; skills that made Perth's Catholics-the ultimate reason for him ideally suited to missionary work and as a Rome's choice of him as Perth's bishop. A possible future bishop. Supportive of the savvy yet realistic individual when it came to

40 A SPANISH BISHOP IN COLONIAL WESTERN AUSTRALIA relationships with spiritual and secular Irish Fenianism. Always the head of a authorities, especially those with difficult missionary diocese, Griver had to continually personalities, O'Brien's biography consistently seek out additional priests and religious to notes the qualities Griver brought to the office serve the vast territory of his diocese, in that had been lacking in his predecessors. A addition to find the funds to construct new prominent one was a pragmatism that placed churches, orphanages and schools. For almost the needs of Perth's Catholics first, despite a year and a half during 1882 to 1883, Griver being frequently constrained by a lack of spent time in Rome and Europe, especially his funds. For example, he quickly realised that native Spain, where he spent several months. the somewhat utopian vision of a Benedictine Returning to Perth in 1883, Griver, an elderly hegemony in Western Australia was unsuited man, suffered a serious fall at his episcopal to the needs of a secular diocese, as it had palace on 19 April 1885. Weakened by serious been for Polding in New South Wales. injuries, he nonetheless attended the Plenary Moreover, the reality of Benedictine life, which Council of Australasian bishops later in the was frequently contemplative, conflicted with year. Indeed, old age and declining health the need for secular clergy who did not have never deterred Griver from undertaking as to balance the life of the cloister with that of many episcopal duties as he could until his the outside world. Thus the monastery in dying days. Though assisted by Fr Matthew Subiaco quickly became unworkable, even if Gibney, who in 1886 had been appointed priests from New Norcia continued to coadjutor bishop with right of succession, successfully serve the diocese in various Griver succumbed to his declining health on 1 capacities from their rural monastery. Another Novemeber 1886 following a stroke. On his pragmatic outcome was the construction and body a penitential cross was found imbedded design of St Mary's Cathedral, opened on 29 in his chest, a demonstration, in O'Brien's January 1865. Its design, a relatively simple words, of 'the depth with which he practised Gothic structure, was nonetheless impressive and sustained his faith in God' (p.232). Taking as it overlooked the city of Perth from its Griver's Marian episcopal motto (Sub tuum modestly elevated setting; even commanding praesidium), Griver's successor, Gibney, a seeming-albeit symbolic-ecclesiastical articulated the widespread view that Griver's superiority, as its doors looked down upon St episcopate had not only been a success in George's Anglican Cathedral. terms of ecclesiastical administration, it had Griver oversaw the revival and renewal of been a life of dedicated Christian ministry that Western Australia's colonial Catholic had affected Perth's Catholics deeply. community, assisted as he was by Salvado's A revised version of a Masters thesis New Norcia. By the end of his reign, the completed at the University of Notre Dame, diocese Griver governed could claim not only Fremantle (and which was funded by the stability, but also growth and integration into Archdiocese of Perth), O'Brien's book is by West Australian society. Overcoming some no means uncritical or in any way government discriminations against his unscholarly; nonetheless, the extensive denomination (such as state funding for preliminary material gives the impression that Catholic schools or the ability for the diocese one is about to read an archdiocesan case to mortgage against government donated for Griver's possible canonisation (indeed, as land), Griver helped the broader West the author himself states, the biography was Australian community to see that Catholics funded by the archdiocese to provide further could not only integrate, but support society knowledge about Griver's life so that 'if in ways that placated Protestant fears of consideration for canonisation was to aggressive Catholic evangelisation or nascent commence at a future date, the necessary

41 COMPASS scholarly work would have already been significant element of that—indeed, a more prepared' [p.xxxv]). Still, though it is a fine successful one given his pragmatic ability to balancing act for the professional historian, place the pastoral needs of Catholic first, rather there is no objective reason why hagiography than obsessing (as Serra was wont to do) with cannot be based on history and, as O'Brien the implementation of a Spanish-monastic documents, there is evidence that Griver was vision, which O'Brien shows to have been not only a good bishop and worthy unrealistic, especially within the metropolitan contributor to West Australian colonial area of Perth, which did not lend itself to the society, but a man of holy life. Time will tell if more contemplative elements of the the Church investigates Griver's sanctity in Benedictine horarium. further detail. Perhaps more work needs to But there may be one area, however, where be done by a historical theologian on Griver's we might priase Serra's vision over than of spirituality and holiness (his interior life), so Griver's more humble outcomes: namely, the as to bring more light to his own sanctity and design and construction of Perth's Cathedral. its possible implications. In this regard O'Brien thus notes that when the original O'Brien is restrained and limited in his cathedral was being planned, Griver turned assessments. Personally I would have liked down a design from none other than the noted to see more discussion of Griver's theological English architect of the nineteenth-century beliefs and spirituality throughout the book— Gothic Revival, Augustus Pugin. Perhaps their characteristics, how they changed and overly grand, it is true a Pugin design may not developed in relation to his life as a colonial have fitted well in the current location at the missionary and bishop. But O'Brien's restraint time; nonetheless, it is a pity that Perth's in this area is probably a virtue as it avoids Catholics missed out on such a possibility (as the charge of the work being merely a an aside, it is unfortunate to note that hagiographical case for canonisation. Archbishop Patrick Joseph Clune, who reigned Like all histories that recall a bygone age during the early twentieth century, also turned and that, by default, cause one to reflect on down a design from the 'hermit of Cat Island', the present, there is much in O'Brien's narrative Monsignor John Hawes—whose noted to ponder given developments in Australian architectural skill would have easily rivalled history since the nineteenth century. For anything Pugin designed). Nonetheless, this example, one notices the dominance of is a minor criticism. As O'Brien has reminded Christianity in colonial Australian society, and us in this excellent narrative of Griver's life, how this influence has all but disappeared in bishops have numerous challenges and Griver, the contemporary Australia. That instinctual reviving the fortunes of the Perth diocese after reverence and respect for the Christian decades of controversy, had limited resources heritage-for tradition, custom and convention, to work with. What mattered—and always will which Griver and the West Australian Spanish matter—was the pastoral needs of Perth's hierarchy embodied, perhaps more so than Catholics. In this regard Griver was a fine their Irish counterparts, may not have been as example of a bishop who placed the needs of successful as hoped—certainly not in its his flock first. It is no wonder that Perth's desire of establishing a Benedictine hegemony Catholics are considering the spiritual in Western Australia, but it was nonetheless a outcomes of the life and ministry of this noble effort and produced fruits that make it colonial bishop who left the vineyards of his one of the more successful Christian missions native Catalonia for arid climate of Western in Australian history. Griver represented a Australia.

Robert M. Andrews is an Honorary Research Associate in Theology at Murdoch University.

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