MORAN, PATRICK (1823-95) was born at Arklow, County Wicklow, Ireland, and to the age of 12 was brought up there under a tutor. In 1836 he entered the day school of the Vincentian Fathers in Ushers Quay, Dublin, and later St Peter's College at Wexford and the College of Castleknock. There he specialised in classics, logic, metaphysics and ethics. He was at Maynooth (1840-47), three years of that time in the Dunboyne establishment, where he devoted himself to philosophy and theology. He was ordained in 1847, and in the following year sent as curate to Booterstown parish. In 1849 he was moved to Haddington Road, where he was entrusted with the charge of the Christian Doctrine Society. There he cultivated his taste for catechetical instruction, in which he later distinguished himself. Every Saturday he heard confessions at Donnybrook, and he frequently gave lectures to young men. During a cholera epidemic he regularly ministered to the incurable in the Dublin hospital. In 1856 Moran was sent as vicar-apostolic to the Eastern Province of Cape Colony, being consecrated to this office in Carlow Cathedral as Bishop of Dardania in partibus. In South Africa he was keenly interested in education, and he taught regularly in Grahamstown. He also introduced Dominican nuns from Sion Hill. He was associated during most of the time with the Catholic newspaper The Colonist. Moran was widely popular amongst the three races of South Africa, the Dutch especially appreciating the broadness of his sympathies. It was there, too, that his friendship with Sir George Grey commenced. Attending the Oecumenical Council at Rome in 1870, he was appointed to be the first bishop of the diocese of Dunedin (Otago and Southland), which had been erected by papal brief of 26 Nov 1869. With a community of the Dominican nuns under Mother Gabriel, Bishop Moran sailed in the Glendower for Australia, and reached Port Chalmers by the Gothenburg on 18 Feb 1871. He acquired a house for the bishop's residence in Elm Row, and proceeded at once to the enlargement of St Joseph's Church for his cathedral. The foundation stone was laid in 1879, and the Cathedral was dedicated on 14 Feb 1886. Meanwhile Moran pushed ahead with other church and religious buildings-the Church of the Sacred Heart in North East Valley; St Patrick's in South Dunedin; a home for the Christian Brothers (whom he introduced in 1878); a convent in 1876; some years later the Dominican convent; and in 1879 the Cathedral college at Wakari. This last was under the members of the Society of Jesus, but a few years later the needs of the Society elsewhere caused their withdrawal. Moran at an early date entered upon the fight for education in New Zealand by condemning the existing public school system and demanding Christian education (Apr 1871). That crusade he maintained unabated throughout his life. In 1883 he stood for Parliament for the Peninsula seat 'to protest against the gross injustice of abstracting money out of the pockets of Catholics and spending it entirely upon the education of other people's children.' The election resulted: Larnach 667; Donnelly 182; Moran 138. Moran several times administered other dioceses in New Zealand, notably that of Wellington in 1872 and that of Auckland in 1876.

A highly cultured gentleman of a retiring disposition, he was nevertheless an effective public speaker and a ready and incisive debater, and many times measured lances in public controversy, generally on the subject of education. His vigorous and pertinacious battle against what he termed 'godless public education' earned the respect of those opposed to him. Moran skilfully guided his people, and left the new diocese generously endowed with church and school in every grade. He died on 22 May 1895.

Saturday Advertiser, 8 Apr 1882; Press Association, 24 Jan 1883; Otago Daily Times, 23 May 1895; N.Z. Tablet, 1 May 1895 (p), 27 Sep 1889 (p). Portrait: Canterbury Times, 6 Jun 1895.

Reference: Volume 2, page 52

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