Archbishop Polding

John Bede Polding was born in Liverpool, England, on November 18, 1794. Educated by Benedictine nuns and monks, Polding joined the Benedictine community in 1811. He spend more than 20 years at Downside Abbey and was consecrated as Australia’s first bishop in 1834. Polding arrived in Sydney in September, 1835 determined to set up a Benedictine monastery as the centre of Australian life. His dream as to build a Christian society in Australia through the influence of the Benedictine way …showed first 75 words of 255 total…

…showed last 75 words of 255 total…of miles visiting Catholics throughout the colony. Polding, who was also Australia’s first Archbishop, had a vision far ahead of his time on issues such as the local church, liturgy, Aborigines, education and Christian culture. He was truly a man of spiritual depth and discernment in touch with the society in which he lived. When he died in 1877 more than 100,000 people gathered for his funeral – a testimony to the respect people had for him.