Father Cooney
Source: The Record. Vol. 3 No. 5 (1 May 1931)
LAMENTED DEATH OF A GREAT PRIEST THE VERY REV. FATHER COONEY WIDELY MOURNED
After twenty nine years of zealous labor in the priesthood—a labor rich in fruits—the Very Reverend Father Nicholas Cooney, parish priest of Canowindra, passed to his eternal reward on Saturday 4th. April, at St. Vincent’s Hospital Bathurst, at the age of 59 years. A great priest, a generous, noble character, Father Cooney is widely and deeply mourned, and his loss is a very severe one to his Lordship the Bishop of Bathurst and to the diocese. By his untimely death, Passiontide has once again brought bereavement to the Bathurst diocese. It will be recalled that the late Bishop O’Farrell went to his eternal reward in the same week three years ago.
Father Cooney was born at Gulgong on May 6, 1872. His early studies were made at the Convent School, Mitchell’s Creek, from which he went to St. Joseph’s College, Hunter’s Hill and afterwards to St. Stanislaus’. When he felt called to the priesthood he went to St. Patrick’s College, Manly, and then Bishop Byrne sent him to All Hallows’ College, Dublin, to study theology, and it was in that College he was ordained on June 24th. 1903.
Six months later he returned to his native diocese and was curate in turn to the late Archdeacon Kelly at Carcoar, the late Monsignor Brophy at Dubbo, and Archdeacon O’Kennedy, still happily the parish priest of Cowra, While at Dubbo, Father Cooney took up the office of diocesan inspector of the Catholic schools, till then in the capable hands of Monsignor Brophy.
The Catholic schools of the diocese owe much to the thorough organisation set on foot by these two men, and to Father Cooney in particular. After seven years as inspector, Bishop Dunne appointed Father Cooney parish priest of Oberon. Here he was devoted to every phase of parochial work, and he has left a lasting monument to his zeal in the convent and convent school which he founded in 1912. When in September 1916, Father Loneragan went to the war as an army chaplain, Bishop Dunne brought Father Cooney to Bathurst to become administrator of the Cathedral parish. He had as curate Father Norton, then a young priest, and between curate and administrator there sprung up a very fast friendship, so that the Bishop now has lost much more than one of his most devoted priests.
It was during his time in Bathurst that Father Cooney first began to experience reverses in health. He had inherited a magnificent constitution from his Irish father, and several of his brothers were noted athletes, but from 1917 onwards he had to undergo several serious operations. However he always returned to his work and remained administrator of Bathurst till May, 1923, when the late Bishop O’Farrell appointed him Parish Priest of Gulgong. Here in his native parish he worked with notable success for six years till he succeeded Bishop Norton as parish priest of Canowindra just three years ago. In all these places he made and kept hosts of friends, who will mourn his loss, not only as a true priest, but also as a loyal and sympathetic friend. God had endowed him with many remarkable qualities, but the best, because it is so rare, was his consummate good judgment. Little wonder that he was the valued counsellor of the three Bishops under whom he served, or that his sermons and spiritual advice were full of sound piety and brimful of faith. It was this same vivid faith that kept him at his post to the last. Only three weeks ago he assisted the Bishop of Goulburn at the laying of the foundation stone of the new church at Koorawatha and the Catholics of Bathurst will recall that he gave the support of his presence to the opening of All Hallows’ College two months ago.
Both his parents predeceased him, but the remainder of his family were with him when the great summons came. They are Miss A. Cooney (Canowindra), Nurse J. Cooney (Coogee), Mrs. J. Ryan (Orange), Mrs. A. Ryan (Goolma), Messrs. P. and J. Cooney (Condobolin), Dr. T. Cooney (Ipswich, Queensland), Messrs. W. Cooney (Gulgong) and J. Cooney (Sydney). A first cousin and namesake of Father Cooney died as parish priest of Kinnegad, Ireland just a year ago. On Sunday evening the remains were brought from St. Vincent’s Hospital to the Cathedral, where passing through a guard of honor of the Hibernian Society, of which Father Cooney was a staunch member, the Bishop and clergy received them, and they were placed before the High Altar.
Source: The Record. Vol. 3 No. 5 (1 May 1931)
