Christchurch Bishop!

Patrick Francis Lyons was born on the 6 of January 1903 in North Melbourne, second child of Patrick Joseph Lyons. Patrick was educated at St Mary's School, in West Melbourne, and St Joseph's Christian Brothers' College, North Melbourne.  

After graduating, he then joined the Navy as a clerk. Four years later at the age of 20, he resigned and started churchly training at St Columba’s College, Springwood, New South Wales, St Patricks College, Manly, Sydney, and the Urban College of Propaganda Fide, Rome. He was ordained in Rome on the 6 of January 1927 at the age of 24. 

He returned to Australia where he happily served as an assistant-priest in Geelong and Brunswick and was then appointed in 1935 to St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne. 3 years later he was promoted to administrator of the cathedral, archdiocese and secretary to Archbishop Daniel Mannix. After another year, he was made vicar-general. 

In 1939 he organized a big celebration to mark the centenary of the Catholic Church in Melbourne. In the same year he helped establish St Patrick’s Cathedral Boys Choir and choir school, using members of the Vienna Mozart Boys Choir who had been stranded by the event of World War II. 

On the 2 July 1944 at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Patrick was consecrated bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand. He remained bishop for 4 years before transferring back to Australia where he became an auxiliary bishop in Sydney.

He died of cancer on 13 August 1967 in East Melbourne at the age of 64 and was buried in St Mary’s Cathedral.

By Franky :-}