Letters

Information sought on Kathleen Cecilia Butler (letter)

John G. Brown

Contents - Mar 2005 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Pray for John Paul II ... - Peter Westmore Vocations: Australian diocesan seminary numbers continue to increase - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Cinema: Hollywood's Kinsey whitewash - Bill Muehlenberg (reviewer) Moral divisions among the Christian Churches threaten ecumenism - Archbishop Barry Hickey Dissent: Notes from a theology unit at Australian Catholic University Church's future lies with orthodoxy, not dissent - Fr Paul Stuart Culture: Secularism, not religion, is threatened with extinction - David Quinn Events: Holy Week Celebrations - Classical Roman Rite A young Catholic's encounter with Latin at Chavagnes International College - Alexander Morrison Adult Education: Sydney Centre for Thomistic Studies continues a great teacher's legacy - Audrey English Letters: Priestly celibacy (letter) - Barbara Chigwidden Letters: Overseas priests and racism - Fr Peter Joseph Letters: Reporting abuses is not spying (letter) - Fr Edward P. Evans Letters: Mangled hymns (letter) - Michael Apthorp Letters: Orthodox young priest (letter) - John David Letters: Abortion (letter) - Fr Austin Kenny CP Letters: Leadership needed (letter) - Tom King Letters: AIDS prevention (letter) - Dr Arnold Jago Letters: Bible and Church (letter) - Frank Bellet Letters: Layman saint Bob Santamaria (letter) - J.W. McMahon Letters: Convert (letter) - Jeff Harvie Letters: Information sought on Kathleen Cecilia Butler (letter) - John G. Brown Letters: Latin Mass (letter) - Alan Freckelton Obituary: The passing of a holy, many-talented Jesuit - Fr Victor Ian Falconer SJ - Michael O'Callaghan Books: DOLLFUSS: An Austrian Patriot, by Fr Johannes Messner - Alice von Hildebrand Books: THE CASTLE OF HEAVENLY BLISS - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: Books to read in 2005 Reflection: The Holy Trinity and the Church: the truth will set you free - Fr John O'Neill

My wife is a keen genealogist. However her grandmother, Kathleen Cecilia Butler, has proved particularly hard to trace in Australia. Kathleen was born into the famous Irish Butler clan at Garlick Hill, Crusheen, Co Clare, in 1902, and we think Kathleen came to Australia in the 1920s. She was housekeeper for her uncle, Father Michael Hehir, also from Crusheen or Ennis in County Clare.

Above are photos of Fr Hehir with Archbishop Daniel Mannix and of Fr Hehir and Kathleen. We think Fr Hehir died in Malvern in 1934 and he may have had a brother T.J. Hehir, who was also a priest in Australia.

We cannot find any record of Kathleen's arrival by ship and little is known of her early days in Australia. Any reader who knows anything of Fr Michael Hehir, Kathleen Butler, or where either of the photos might have been taken please get in touch.

Our address is 12 Stuka Close, Raby, NSW 2566, tel (02) 9824-8668 (h), mobile 0414 493 414, (02) 9391 9779 (w), and email addresses, vickiemulholland@bocnet.com.au or jbrow@bocnet.com.au

JOHN G. BROWN
Raby, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 18 No 2 (March 2005), p. 15