100 YEARS: THE FIRST CENTENARY OF THE DEATH OF AN AUSTRALIAN-BORN MSC, FR GEORGE ORGAN
Born July 3, 1890,
First profession 14th of September 1909,
Ordination 30th of November 1917.
Died 14th March 1920.
From Jim Littleton’s book on deceased MSC:
Born in Coonamble, NSW. On March 15, 1920, then the junior priest of the province, he died very suddenly from peritonitis. After ordination he had taught scripture to the scholastics, and, for a short while, religion to the boys at Douglas Park.
His death was sudden. He was in good health until the Thursday previous to his death. On that morning, though feeling somewhat unwell, he offered his daily mass in the community chapel at Douglas Park. As he became very ill during the day, and his condition seemed rather serious on Thursday night, the doctor was summoned from Camden. He ordered an immediate operation and then Fr Organ was transferred at once to Lewisham hospital where, after the operation, the case was declared hopeless. He received the last sacraments from the provincial, Fr Perkins. He lingered on until Sunday morning when he peacefully breathed his last in the presence of Fr Perkins.
His anniversary is shared by Fr Harry Eather MSC.
HARRY EATHER
Born 22 December 1904,
First profession 26th of February 1925,
Ordination first of December 1930,
Died 14 of March 1970.
Again from Jim Littleton:
Born at Uralla, New South Wales, secondary school Christian Brothers College, Waverley.
He had a varied and significant ministry. After ordination he was appointed to the foundation staff of Downlands. It was said his bright and friendly disposition was admirable for good relations with the boys and parents. On volunteering to work on the missions, he was appointed in 1939 to Alice Springs which was then a small parish, but was soon to become a large staging camp for troops en route to the north when war broke out.
After the war he was posted to Port Moresby and he organised a church area recovering from the ravages of war. Six years later he was recalled to the mainland to be parish priest of Camp Hill, where the fine parish church stands as a monument to his memory. His six years in Brisbane ended with his reappointment to Port Moresby as superior of the mission and vicar general until his health began to fail. He was an uncle of Father Paul Power MSC.
