Archbishop Leonard Faulkner

When Leonard Faulkner was appointed bishop of Townsville he chose as his motto "As one who serves" –and this characterised him as a person and in his life as a priest and bishop.

Throughout his life he was renowned for his interest and care for the needy, whether they be migrants and refugees, adults and children with disability, and the special interest in youth through his years with the YCW. He was known as a 'man of the people', a gentle and saintly man. No doubt this flowed from his humble beginnings.

Leonard Anthony Faulkner was the eldest of 10 children, born in Booleroo Centre to Daniel Vincent and Frances Martha Faulkner. His childhood was spent on a farm at Murray Town in the southern Flinders Ranges. Life there was tough, especially when the depression struck and Len's father was out of work with a family to support. Len then aged 10, remembered his father praying the 90 day prayer, and calling his family together said "God will look after us". Len never forgot those words! He did not begin school until he was 7 years old and strong enough to walk the four miles to and from school. His early education was at the local State school, and later with the Sisters of St Joseph at Gladstone. After winning a scholarship he went as a boarder to Sacred Heart College where he commenced his secondary education.

Becoming a priest

He entered St Francis Xavier's Seminary at Rostrevor in 1942 as one of the very first group of students. He later completed his studies in Rome where he was ordained on January 1 1950. This was a difficult time in Europe and he saw much of the devastation that followed World War II. Living and studying with students from across the world at Propaganda College enabled him to develop a real understanding of people and their diversity. Learning Italian, as he had to, proved a great asset to him in his priestly and Episcopal life.

On his return to Adelaide he was appointed Assistant Priest in Woodville where he would ride his bike to visit the Trust homes in that area and meet many of the post-war migrants. His appointment as Diocesan Chaplain to the YCW in 1955 was something that had a profound influence on his later ministry – it was the beginning of his commitment to the active involvement of lay people in the life of the Church. He was greatly influence by the spirit of Joseph Cardijn and that gospel centred approach of See – Judge – Act that was at the heart of much of Len Faulkner's life and ministry. He continued as Diocesan Chaplain, even after he was appointed Administrator of St Francis Xavier's Cathedral in 1957. He was also the Director of Vocations.

Appointment as Bishop

After serving 10 years as Administrator at St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Leonard Faulkner was appointed Bishop of Townsville in November 1967. He was consecrated Bishop on November 28 by Archbishop Matthew Beovich, in the presence of Bishop Hugh Ryan, the former bishop of Townsville.

Prior to taking up his appointment in Townsville Fr Lenard Faulkner attended a Retreat at Corpus Christi College where he concentrated on the documents of the Second Vatican Council that had only recently been released in English. He was aware that one of the challenging tasks in Townsville was to introduce the many changes that flowed from the Vatican Council II.

At the age of 40 this was a challenging task – moving to a tropical climate and with vast distances to travel. And it was here he encountered and discovered the faith, culture, traditions and spirituality of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. His sensitivity to the complex issues they faced became a significant hallmark of his ministry in Queensland. He did a lot of work in raising the profile of the Aboriginal people in the life of the diocese. In July 1982 Bishop Faulkner made history by ordaining the first Aboriginal deacon, Monte Prior who was a leader within the local community.

Bishop Len worked hard at implementing the recommendations of the Second Vatican Council. He set up Parish Pastoral Councils and developed more formal structures in diocesan services. In this he was well served by Mrs Sheila Hill as his Secretary. This relationship became very important to Len in his life as Bishop and later as Archbishop unfolded. She became Secretary, chef and housekeeper and much later his carer.

Bishop Faulkner was remembered throughout the diocese for his kindness, sense of humour and approachability, endeared him to the people of Townsville and beyond. He always regarded the visitation of parishes across his far-flung diocese as one of his main ministries as a bishop.

Back to Adelaide

He returned to Adelaide in 1983 as Coadjutor Archbishop to Archbishop Gleeson. This was a great joy to both of them as they had enjoyed a long partnership and friendship, and they shared so many common features of their life and ministry. It was especially through Archbishop Gleeson that Fr Len Faulkner had developed an appreciation of the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. In fact Bishop Faulkner was one of the first post Vatican II bishops to be appointed in Australia. After Archbishop Gleeson retired due to ill health, Leonard Faulkner was installed as Archbishop of Adelaide on June 19, 1985 where he remained until his retirement on December 3, 2001.

In the spirit of Vatican II and his long involvement with the YCW Archbishop Faulkner was profoundly convinced of the essential role of all the baptised in the life and mission of the Church. Building on the work and spirit of renewal that had been inaugurated by Archbishop Gleeson, and in consultation with the Diocesan Pastoral Council and the Council of Priests and other key advisors, he proposed a new model of governance for the diocese. He established the Diocesan Pastoral Team consisting of bishop, priest, religious and lay person sharing leadership together. This innovative move was looked upon with some suspicion by many priests (and fellow bishops). Anxious not to appear to impose this on the diocese he went to all the regional priests meetings to explain what he had in mind. Thus he demonstrated his deep desire to work collaboratively with priests, religious and lay people throughout the diocese and beyond.

The Diocesan Pastoral Team (DPT) proved to be a valuable undertaking, enriching the pastoral care of people beyond expectation. One of the hallmarks of this time was the strong emphasis on parish visitation with the involvement of Team members and the Archbishop, who loved to be among his people in the parishes and ethnic communities.

A book entitled "Prophetic Pastoral Leadership" by Paul Hawkes was published in 2018 and launched by Archbishop Faulkner. It gave an overview of the history of the Diocesan Pastoral Team from 1986 to 2001.

There were many remarkable features of Archbishop Faulkner's time. He was passionately involved in ecumenical and inter-faith initiatives and support for migrants and refugees. During the AIDS epidemic he demonstrated his bold and compassionate leadership in establishing the Diocesan AIDS Council and a very active volunteer group to support those affected.

A memorable highlight of his time was his journey to South Africa in 1990 when Nelson Mandela had just been released from prison. While there he visited black townships, prisons and the African National Congress. He was invited back as an international observer for the first democratic election in April 1994.

Another highlight of his time was the visit of Pope John Paul II in November 1986 when Adelaide was selected as the venue for meeting with rural communities, given his country origin, and the special Mass with its focus on Australia: Land of many cultures. It was a memorable celebration.

The completion of the St Francis Xavier's Cathedral tower, about which he was quite ambivalent, and its dedication on July 11 1996 was another joyous occasion. It was 138 years to the day since the first part of the Cathedral was blessed.

Like Archbishop Gleeson, Archbishop Faulkner had a great memory for names which of course delighted many people. He also had a great relationship with his fellow priests, enjoying the regular game of golf, well into his retirement. He took a great interest in cricket and in Aussie Rules, he was an enthusiastic supporter of the Crows.

His humility was always evident. He lived in an ordinary suburban house and delighted in entertaining groups of priests with the informal Thursday evening meals. On his own admission administration was not one of this strong points – he far preferred informal gatherings where he could chat with people about their everyday life and concerns.

In all his interactions with people, what was always evident was his deep spirituality, his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In the words of Pope Francis, he truly 'lived the Gospel'. He maintained his love for the Eucharist, prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, fidelity to the Divine Office and the daily Rosary. Not only did he practice what he preached, but he also preached through what he practiced.

He wasn't a man of airs and graces. Rather it was his ordinariness that earned him the respect of a wide range of people. Many of the tributes that flowed after his death described him as "a man of the people", a true gentleman, and someone who listened without judging.

During his time in Adelaide Archbishop Faulkner took on several leadership roles in the wider Australian Church. He was a member of the Central Commission of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) from 1983 to 2001. He chaired a number of the ACBC committees, including the Committees for the Laity, for Family and For Life, for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and for Finance and Communications.

Retirement

Leonard Faulkner retired as Archbishop in December 2001, but he continued to serve his people, often in hidden ways, by visiting the sick, regularly celebrating Mass for the various groups, and of course catching up with his large extended family. He continued his membership of various committees and was in fact Chair of a State Government Council on Ageing.

In 2016 he published a book of his memoirs "A Listening Ministry", edited by Fr Michael Trainor. The book was launched in Adelaide and later also in Townsville.

In November 2017 Archbishop Faulkner celebrated the 50th anniversary of his appointment as a bishop – only the third bishop in Australia's history to do so. There was a great celebration in St Francis Xavier's Cathedral with several bishops present. Bishop Eugene Hurley in his homily paid great tribute to the leadership Archbishop Faulkner had given in the Australian Church.

As Archbishop's health declined he took up residence in the Southern Cross Care at The Pines. It was there that he died on May 6 2018. His Funeral Mass was celebrated in St Francis Xavier's Cathedral on May 14 and was attended by a dozen of his fellow bishops and many priests, together with representatives from other Churches and civic dignitaries, and with 1300 people gathered within the Cathedral and outside in Mary MacKillop Plaza.

Principal celebrant was Archbishop Wilson who in his homily referred to the great influence of the YCW and the See, Judge and Act spirit on the life and ministry of Archbishop Faulkner. A moving tribute was delivered by Fr Maurice Shinnick highlighting so many of the qualities and achievement of Archbishop Faulkner, who like his predecessor Archbishop Gleeson will be long remembered as one of the great bishops of Australia.

The funeral cortege was led by students from Sacred Heart College and Cardijn College. More than 90 priests formed a guard of honour through Victoria Square which was closed to traffic after the Funeral Mass. The Rite of Committal was attended by family, clergy and many close friends at the West Terrace Catholic Cemetery.

May he rest in eternal peace.