Biography:
Fr Joseph Grealy AM, ED, PE, (Oxon), CM
Birth, education and early life
Joseph Grealy was born in Parkside in Adelaide in 1925, the son of Eileen and Matthew Grealy. He was educated at the Convent of Mercy at Parkside and then at Christian Brothers College, Wakefield street, Adelaide.
On leaving school he took up an apprenticeship as a Boiler Maker at the Islington Railway workshops. In later life this experience was invaluable to him as a priest, in that it gave him a status in industry where he was to do so much good work as a priest.
Ordination and early appointments
He commenced his studies for the priesthood at St Francis Xavier Seminary in 1947 and later at St Patrick’s College, Manly NSW. He was ordained Priest in 1954 and subsequently worked in six parishes of the Adelaide Diocese, he became assistant priest at the Walkerville, Woodville, Victor Harbor and Semaphore parishes over the next six years. In 1962 he was appointed parish administrator at the Semaphore parish. In January 1965 he became the parish priest at Kadina and then went to Mount Barker in 1970.
In August 1974 he went on long service leave until the following February.
Army service
In January 1956 he was appointed a part-time chaplain to the school cadets. He served as a part-time Chaplain in the Royal Australian Army for 20 years. Father Joe was highly regarded by all within the Defence Force, from the junior ranks of cadets right through to senior officers. During 1973 he served as Deputy Senior Chaplain to Army Central Command during the absence of Fr Gavan Kennare.
His brother’s eulogy
At his funeral Mass in St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral on September 17, his brother Jack delivered a eulogy stating that Fr Joe was recognised by all as a “great man”.
He said: “Joe Grealy was in every respect a robust individual:
- in his religious beliefs and practices;
- in his political values and attitudes;
- in his nature, his charity, his concern for both his personal and his wider family of friends;
- in his love of competitive sport; and perhaps most of all
- he held robust, individual opinions in any discussion on any facet of political life whether about politicians or parties.”
“The essence of Joe was that he loved people – always the less successful in life, those who battled on despite the back-handers of society. Which is not to say he withheld his affection from those who were successful – for as he used to say ‘without them, who was there to argue with!’
“In particular, Joe saw Christ in ordinary, everyday working people. He saw Him in their honesty, their courage, their strength of character, their beliefs; he saw Him in their humour, in their integrity, in their work and in their creativity. He saw Christ in their families, in their love and fidelity, in their attitude to ordinary, monotonous, mundane, everyday house and home management. He saw Christ in the struggle of the battlers to educate their children in all matters of life.”
Priest of the people
His early experience as a boilermaker meant that he knew much of the trade terminology of the industrial jungle and was thus able to develop an easy rapport with all sorts of workers – a great advantage as an industrial chaplain.
A fellow priest remarked that Joe was a “People’s Priest”, particularly for those people whom society referred to as “The Battlers”. For many politicians and trade unionists, whether or not they shared his beliefs, Joe was the welcoming, understanding face of the Catholic Church.
Another priest commented that Joe had introduced him to the world of the workers, that Joe represented the Church to the workers and that he represented the workers to the Church and also that, being ever-ready to challenge authority, Joe was greatly under-estimated by the Church.
Rebel with a cause
He was regarded by some in positions of authority in the church as being perverse, obstinate, contrary, difficult and unfortunately too often right in his arguments. He is remembered for writing to his Bishop urging that Keating and Whitlam be invited to meet the Pope and for writing to advise Kevin Rudd on the topic of the 2020 Summit.
Further education
In spite of his seeming “authority”, Joe sometimes felt that some further education might assist his arguments and give his opinions a better foundation. So, in August 1984, though Joe was not a scholar, he did study successfully at Oxford gaining a degree and then he discovered that it was his opinions that mattered to others, not the fact that he could add a few letters after his name.
Mixed blessings
Fr Joe was held in high regard by his family, especially his 25 nieces and nephews. They recall how he used to say Masses for animals – even though he was not enthusiastic about animals. He blessed many ships at their launching, despite suffering from sea-sickness, and of course he commandeered the Formula 1 Grand Prix Chaplaincy.
Positions of importance
In February 1975 Fr Joe was elected a member of the Senate of priests for a two-year term. In June 1986 he was appointed a member of the Council of Priests which he held until May 1991, during which time he was also a Diocesan Consultor. Around this time he was, too, Diocesan Chaplain for the Catholic Women’s League.
In 1972 Fr Joe was appointed as an Industrial Chaplain and the Church’s representative on the Inter-Church Trade and Industry Mission, and later in 1978 he took up a full-time position as staff chaplain. And thus began his formal association with the trade union movement. As a priest Fr Joe was not permitted to belong to a Trade Union or a political party, but he had no qualms about borrowing his brother’s Labour Party membership card which happened to be in the name of “J. Grealy”. He would casually “discover” it in his pocket when in the presence of out-spoken anti-clergy persons in factories. Thus he was often able to break through their prejudices. During this time he visited 23 countries as an Industrial Democracy Chaplain for the Commonwealth Government. Fr Joe retired from ITIM in 1992, after 25 years in office.
Honoured by all
When Fr Joe died, a tribute was paid to him in the Senate by Sen. Don Farrell. He said: “I rise to pay tribute to the late Father Joe Grealy, the Adelaide priest who was a great friend of workers and their families. I believe that his many achievements and fine qualities are worth bringing to the attention of this house. Father Joe Grealy was indeed the ‘People’s Priest’, who could mix with Grand Prix drivers, factory workers and politicians and treat all equally and with great respect.” He went on to list many of his many qualities, achievements and honours received. (See below for full text.)
Father Joe was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1988 for services to religion and the community in his work as an industrial chaplain. On New Year’s Day 2001, he was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to the Catholic Church.
Final years
On August 1, 1996 Fr Joe suffered a heart attack requiring surgery. In December he went to reside at Lourdes Valley Hostel and as his health improved he moved to Beovich Villa. On September 26, 1997 he retired with title “Pastor Emeritus”. He later moved to St Hilarion nursing home, where he died on September 12, 2008. His funeral Mass was celebrated in St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral on September 17 and he was buried at Centennial Park Cemetery.
May he rest in peace.
Tribute to Fr Joe Grealy in Federal Parliament.
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Father Joe Grealy
Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party)
"I rise to pay tribute to the late Father Joe Grealy, the Adelaide priest who was a great friend of workers and their families. I believe that his many achievements and fine qualities are worth bringing to the attention of this house. Father Joe Grealy was indeed the ‘People’s Priest’, who could mix with Grand Prix drivers, factory workers and politicians and treat all equally and with great respect.
Father Joe died on Friday, 12 September. His funeral was held in Adelaide last Wednesday at St Francis Xavier Cathedral, which was packed with family, former parishioners, politicians, trade unionists and friends. He was 82 years of age and, looking back now, I know I was privileged to go to his 80th birthday party a couple of years ago at the Star of the Sea parish hall in Henley Beach.
Father Joe was born in Parkside in Adelaide in 1925, the son of Eileen and Matthew Grealy. He was ordained a priest in 1954 and became assistant priest at the Walkerville, Woodville, Victor Harbor and Semaphore parishes over the next six years. He was also a part-time chaplain to the school cadets. In 1962 he was appointed parish administrator at the Semaphore parish. In January 1965 he became the parish priest at Kadina and then went on to Mount Barker in 1970.
It was in 1972 that Father Joe began his formal association with the trade union movement, when he was appointed as the church representative on the board of management of the Inter-Church Trade and Industry Mission. Later, in 1978, he took up a full-time position as staff chaplain within that organisation. Father Joe came to the priesthood later in life, having originally started as a boilermaker with the South Australian railways.
Father Joe’s father was the secretary of the Furnishing Trades Union, so Father Joe instantly understood the industrial jargon of his new job. He would not force his religious views on others and did not take the confessional into the factories, but instead used his vast number of contacts in government departments to provide practical help to his blue-collar parishioners.
One of the things that struck me most about Father Grealy was his commitment to promoting the dignity of work for all workers, no matter what their profession. Father Joe believed that all workers, including those from the retail industry that I previously represented, deserved to feel that their work had meaning and was spiritually fulfilling in some way.
From my involvement in the trade union movement I know only too well how the conditions in a workplace can build workers’ self-esteem and fill their lives with meaning. Part of Father Joe’s mission was to challenge dehumanising aspects of work and instead promote workplaces that were based on caring and respect and that valued the inherent dignity of all workers. He helped encourage people to recognise workers as human beings and not just as an economic input little different from the machines or tools they use to complete their work."
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