emeritus bishop len boyle – NZ Catholic Newspaper

Emeritus Bishop Len Boyle passes away

NZ Catholic Staff — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 01:40:23 +0000

Emeritus Bishop Len Boyle of Dunedin passed away, surrounded by family and his brother priests, after a short period of ill health. He was 85.

New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference president Bishop Patrick Dunn today announced the sad news.

“It is with sadness that we pay tribute to our brother bishop, recalling his commitment to the people he served and his ministry as a priest and bishop. He was a proud son of Southland,” said Bishop Dunn.

Bishop Dunn recalled how Bishop Boyle would always remark about the community spirit in Southland.

“Community was very important to him and his approach to priesthood over more than 50 years. In retirement he continued to serve as parish priest in various parishes throughout the Diocese wherever he was needed,” Bishop Dunn added.

“We extend our condolences to his family, his brother priests and the community that he loved dearly,” he said.

Bishop Boyle lived in Mosgiel and recently moved into the Sacred Heart Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Brockville, Dunedin.

Bishop Boyle was the subject of a biography titled “The Good Shepherd” written in 2012 by former Otago Daily Times journalist, Claire Ramsay.

The book described his unconventional path to becoming a bishop: having been brought up in a pub in Nightcaps as well as being a farmer, shearer and freezing worker. He was also a keen rugby player before training as a priest in Christchurch and Mosgiel in the 1950s and early 1960s.

He was ordained a bishop in Dunedin’s Town Hall in 1983 and two years later was installed as Bishop of Dunedin on the death of Bishop John Kavanagh. He was the first ‘local’ appointed to head the diocese, and was not trained in Rome as his predecessors had been.

At the time the book was launched Bishop Boyle joked that it was too flattering as it “included all the good but not the bad”.

Bishop Boyle was born in Nightcaps, Southland, and educated at convent schools in Nightcaps and Winton and then later at St Kevin’s College in Oamaru.

He came from a distinguished and well known Winton family known for their involvement with racing, rugby and the hotel trade. Bishop Boyle himself had a love of horses. He often said “I’m away to a course” and on return would say, “I failed and have to repeat the course”.

He served as a bishop until his retirement in 2004. Bishop Boyle had five brothers, Wattie, Jack, Eddie, Frank and Vincent and two sisters Patricia and Margaret (who died in infancy) who passed on before him.

He is survived by his brother, Cliff, sister-in-law Eileen Boyle and his 27 nieces and nephews and their families.

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Southerners to celebrate sesqui

Michael Otto — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 21:09:47 +0000

by PAT VELTKAMP SMITH
INVERCARGILL — Cometh the day, cometh the man.
As parish priest of St Mary’s Basilica in Invercargill, Fr Christopher O’Neill chairs the committee set up now to mark, celebrate, 150 years of Catholicism in the far south.
So endemic feels the faith here that some people are surprised to
realise there is a date to be marked.
One hundred and fifty years? We forget how recently we marked 150 years of the south as a settled community itself.
The Catholic faith came with early setters, was bedded in by
Irish missionary priests, to flower with the coming of nuns and brothers setting up Catholic schools, which in turn spawned a veritable legion of Catholic-related clubs, groups, associations and societies — virtually one to equal every local group established.
By the turn of that century there were Catholic rugby, tennis, swimming, cricket, basketball and debating clubs, Catholic dances and debutante balls, businesses and professional practices employing
only Catholics, and others which wouldn’t touch them with a barge
pole.
But it all began with one Catholic church community in Invercargill,
a modest St Mary’s in Clyde St, today our beloved century-plus
revamped Petre-designed basilica mother church for all those parishes that have built churches and schools, presbyteries, Petre-designed convents, halls and sportsgrounds — parishes developing
their own identities within the bosom of the one that spawned them.
Of course, it is different today, but Marist rugby remains a force
to be reckoned with. Marist cricket also, while St Mary’s netball club has opened to welcoming men’s teams, playing under the St Mary’s Men banner.
We are holding up our end down here.
Two of the past three rectors of Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland
are Southlanders born and bred.
The present and former bishops of Dunedin diocese are Southland
men, Bishop Colin Campbell and Emeritus Bishop Len Boyle.
Southland women have headed Australasian congregations of
sisters in orders as diverse as the Dominicans and Blue nuns of the
Homes of Compassion. There are Southland sisters living as Carmelites. And there are Mercy Sisters.
Southland men have headed the Marist Brothers Order over many
years.
NZ Catholic’s founding editor Pat McCarthy is a Southland-born
and -trained journalist (and one time colleague of the writer). He is also, now, a papal knight.
Although none of these make any claim for our attention, we
know, remember, acknowledge, respect and value them all and
are proud of that Southland link with us.
The story of Catholicism in the south, its development, growth
and change over the past century and a half is being researched and
written by city author, St Mary’s Basilica parishioner Wendy McArthur, coincidentally secretary of the sesquicentennial committee.
Throughout the year, wonderful sacred music is being played on
the organ and presented under the baton of the basilica’s director of music, Dr Raymond White, he too returning home to the south from
overseas study and performance commitments.
In less than six months the sesquicentennial celebration will
open with a sung Mass and civic function at the basilica on the Friday night, big nosh up next night at the Ascot, province-wide Mass with probably 700 communicants the following morning.
And what a welcome there will be for those making the effort to
come home.

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Sr Marie still lends a helping hand at 100

Michael Otto — Sun, 25 May 2014 22:08:42 +0000

by JEFF DILLON
DUNEDIN — A letter from the Queen. A certificate of celebration from
Pope Francis. Sr Marie of the Little Sisters of the Poor takes all the fuss in her stride as she celebrates 100 years.echo $variable;

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