John Bathersby facts for kids

Styles of John Bathersby
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Grace
Religious style	Emeritus Archbishop
Posthumous style	not applicable

John Alexius Bathersby (born 26 July 1936 – died 9 March 2020) was an Australian bishop in the Roman Catholic Church. He became the sixth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Brisbane. He served in this important role from 1991 until he retired in 2011. After his retirement, he was known as the Emeritus Archbishop of Brisbane.

John Bathersby's Early Life

John Alexius Bathersby was born in Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia. His parents were John Thomas and Grace Maud Bathersby. He had an older sister, Carmel, a younger brother, Michael, and two younger sisters, Suzanne and Anne.

He went to primary school at St Joseph's in Stanthorpe from 1941 to 1950. For his high school years, he boarded at Nudgee College in Brisbane from 1951 to 1954.

Becoming a Priest

After finishing school, John Bathersby went to the Pius XII Provincial Seminary in Banyo. Here, he began his training to become a priest. He completed his studies between 1955 and 1961.

On 30 June 1961, he was ordained as a priest in his home parish of Stanthorpe. Bishop William Brennan performed the ordination ceremony.

For his first seven years as a priest, he worked as an assistant and administrator in Goondiwindi. In 1969, he traveled to Rome for more studies. He earned a special degree in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He also received a diploma in spirituality.

In 1972, he joined the staff at Pius XII Seminary in Brisbane. He worked there as a spiritual director for seven years. In 1979, he returned to Rome to earn a doctorate in theology and spirituality. After this, he went back to the seminary before being appointed a bishop in 1986.

Leading the Church: Bishop and Archbishop

On 20 March 1986, John Bathersby became the Bishop of Cairns. Archbishop Francis Roberts Rush consecrated him. Later, on 3 December 1991, Bathersby succeeded Archbishop Rush in the Archdiocese of Brisbane. He was officially installed as the sixth Bishop (and fifth Archbishop) of Brisbane on 30 January 1992.

Working with Other Churches

Archbishop Bathersby was very involved in working with other Christian churches. He was a member of the International Catholic-Methodist Dialogue from 1989 to 1995. He also co-chaired the Australian Catholic–Uniting Church Dialogue.

From 1997 to 2000, he served as the President of the National Council of Churches in Australia. In 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed him to co-chair a group working with the Anglican Church. These roles showed his commitment to bringing different Christian groups closer together.

Challenges in Leadership

In 2008, a church called St. Mary's Catholic Church in South Brisbane faced some challenges. The priest there, Peter Kennedy, was holding services that were different from standard Roman Catholic practices. Many people liked his services, especially those who felt disconnected from the usual church.

Archbishop Bathersby tried many times to encourage Father Kennedy to follow the standard church ways. However, Father Kennedy did not agree. Eventually, Archbishop Bathersby had to remove Father Kennedy from his position as parish priest. After this, many of Father Kennedy's followers left the church with him. They continued to hold services as the "St Mary's Community in Exile" nearby.

Retirement and Passing

When Archbishop Bathersby turned 75 in July 2011, he asked the Pope for permission to retire. In November 2011, the Bishop of Lismore, Geoffrey Jarrett, temporarily managed the Brisbane archdiocese. In April 2012, Mark Coleridge was appointed as the seventh archbishop of Brisbane.

Archbishop Bathersby passed away on 9 March 2020. He died at Brisbane's Wesley Hospital after having a stroke.