Matthew Beovich
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Matthew Beovich (1 April 1896 - 24 October 1981) was an Australian
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
who was the fifth Archbishop of Adelaide.


Early life

Matthew Beovich was born on 1 April 1896 in Carlton, a suburb of
Melbourne, Victoria Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
. He was the second of the four children of Mate (or Matta) Beovich ( Mate Beović), a fruiterer born in
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
, and Elizabeth (née Kenny), who was born in
Bendigo, Victoria Bendigo ( ) is an Australian city in north-central Victoria (Australia), Victoria. The city is located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital. As of 2022, ...
. He began his schooling at St George's School, Carlton before moving on to St Joseph's Christian Brothers' College, North Melbourne as a full-time student between 1909 and 1912 when he passed the Senior Public Service examination. His contemporaries at the same school were
Nick McKenna Nicholas Edward McKenna (9 September 1895 – 22 April 1974) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Tasmania from 1944 to 1968. He held ministerial office in the Chifley government from 1946 to 1949 as Minister for Health and ...
and
Arthur Calwell Arthur Augustus Calwell King's Counsel, KC (28 August 1896 – 8 July 1973) was an Australian politician who served as the leader of the Australian Labor Party, Labor Party from 1960 to 1967. He led the party through three federal elections, l ...
, with whom he remained friends his whole life. From 1912 until 1917, Beovich worked as a clerk in the
General Post Office, Melbourne The General Post Office, situated on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke streets in Melbourne, is the former General Post Office for Victoria, Australia. Still owned by the Federal Government, the building appears on all major heritage lists ...
, studying part-time and
matriculating Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used no ...
in 1913. He was to return to his old school on many occasions whenever his business brought him to Melbourne. In August 1917, Beovich left Melbourne for
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
to study for the priesthood. For the next four years, he attended the Pontifical Urban College of Propaganda, receiving prizes in
physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
,
church history Church history or ecclesiastical history as an academic discipline studies the history of Christianity and the way the Christian Church has developed since its inception. Henry Melvill Gwatkin defined church history as "the spiritual side of t ...
and
sacramental theology A sacrament is a Christian rite which is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence, number and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of ...
. His thesis for his
Doctorate of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (i.e., Christian theology and ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the English-speaking world than elsewhere. In the United Kin ...
was a defence of the Catholic sacrament of
confession A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of people – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep hidden. The term presumes that the speaker is providing information that ...
. On 6 August 1922, Beovich was ordained as a
deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...
and on 22 December that same year he was ordained a
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
at the
Basilica of St. John Lateran The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (officially the ''Major Papal, Patriarchal and Roman Archbasilica, Metropolitan and Primatial Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in Lateran, Mother and Head of A ...
. After exploring Europe, he returned to Melbourne in October 1923. Upon his return to Australia, Beovich briefly served as an assistant priest of a parish in
North Fitzroy Fitzroy North is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-east of the Melbourne central business district, located within the Cities of City of Merri-bek, Merri-bek and City of Yarra, Yarra Local government areas of Victo ...
, in what would be his only experience of suburban parochial life.Laffin 2008, p. 72. In May 1924, he was appointed Director of Religious Instruction for the
Archdiocese of Melbourne The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is a Latin Rite metropolitan archdiocese in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Erected initially in 1847 as the Diocese of Melbourne, a suffragan diocese of Archdiocese of Sydney, the diocese was el ...
. Over the next decade, the Archbishop of Melbourne,
Daniel Mannix Daniel Patrick Mannix (4 March 1864 – 6 November 1963) was an Irish-born Australian Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th-century Australia. Early lif ...
, gradually delegated all diocesan educational matters to Beovich.Laffin 2008, p. 76. In 1932, the Catholic Education Office was established with Mannix as director and Beovich as deputy director. At some point in the next four years, Beovich was elevated to director, a reflection of Mannix's limited direct involvement in the organisation. Until his installation as Archbishop of Adelaide in 1940, Beovich played an important role in Victorian Catholic education, sitting on the Council of Public Education (which oversaw non-government education and advised the minister of education) from 1932, and authoring a new
catechism A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of Catholic theology, doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult co ...
for school children. In 1940, Mannix told the Adelaide clergy that Beovich had "brought about a revolution in the Catholic schools of Melbourne". In 1925, Mannix appointed Beovich to the position of secretary of the
Catholic Truth Society Catholic Truth Society (CTS) is a body that prints and publishes Catholic literature, including apologetics, prayerbooks, spiritual reading, and lives of saints. It is based in London, United Kingdom. The CTS had been founded in 1868 by Cardi ...
in Australia. He resigned this position in 1933, with Mannix citing the reason as the increased workload from his work in Catholic education and duties as the presenter of ''The Catholic Hour'', a weekly radio program on Melbourne station 3AW.


Episcopacy


Consecration and early episcopacy

On 13 December 1939, Beovich received a phone-call from the Australian
apostolic delegate An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is ...
informing him that he had been appointed by
Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...
to be installed as the new archbishop of
Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, replacing Andrew Killian who had died in June that year.Laffin 2008, p. 106. In fact, Beovich had been contacted by the editor of the ''Advocate'' (a Melbourne Catholic newspaper) to comment on his appointment the night before, the confusion arising from the fact that the plane carrying the
papal bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...
of appointment had crashed into the sea near
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
. The mailbag was eventually recovered and Beovich received the barely readable document in March 1940. Matthew Beovich was
consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
and installed as Archbishop of Adelaide at St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Adelaide, on 7 April 1940,Laffin 2008, p. 107. becoming the archdiocese's first Australian-born bishop.Laffin 2008, p. 112. The cathedral was crowded for the consecration, with loudspeakers so those who could not fit inside could still hear the proceedings. In addition, the entire ceremony was broadcast on radio. The first months of Beovich's episcopacy were characterised by a cautious approach. Having acknowledged his limited knowledge of parochial matters, Beovich retained the same inner circle of advisers that had served Killen. He kept numerous engagements, including the opening of a maternity wing at Calvary Hospital with premier Thomas Playford, a meeting of the
Holy Name Society The Society of the Holy Name, formally known as the Confraternity of the Most Holy Name of God and Jesus, is a Roman Catholic confraternity of the laity and is one of several which are under the care of the Dominican Order. It is open to all C ...
that drew two thousand members, and an
Anzac Day Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia, New Zealand and Tonga that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and ...
Requiem Mass A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is u ...
for soldiers who had returned from the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Privately, he began negotiations with the Australian apostolic delegate and Bishop of Port Augusta, Thomas McCabe, regarding the founding of a
seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...
for Adelaide. In July 1940, Beovich arranged for a Catholic lawyer to draft a
bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pl ...
entitling religious ministers to give 30 minutes of religious instruction per week to students in government schools belonging to their denomination. Drafted as a compromise between the lack of religious education in state schools at the time, and mandatory instruction by schoolteachers (which had been opposed by the Adelaide Catholic diocese), it was introduced to state parliament as a
private member's bill A private member's bill is a bill (proposed law) introduced into a legislature by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch. The designation "private member's bill" is used in most Westminster system jurisdictions, in wh ...
by then
opposition leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Robert Richards. With the support of education minister
Shirley Jeffries Sir Shirley Williams Jeffries (28 February 1886 – 13 September 1963) was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly in three stints over twenty five years and an Australian rules footballer in the South Australian Football League (SAF ...
, the bill won passage through both houses of
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
and became law.Laffin 2008, p. 116.


Reconstruction and The Movement


Retirement and later life

On 1 May 1971, Beovich sent his resignation to Pope
Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...
. Paying tribute to the quiet, calm way he usually faced difficulties, his secretary recalled that the only time he saw him excited was during World War II, at a meeting in the town hall to protest against the bombing of Rome. Although gentle and shy, he could appear remote and austere, but was affectionately remembered for his sense of humour and his "jet-propelled" arrivals and departures from Catholic functions. Beovich died on 24 October 1981 in North Adelaide and was buried at West Terrace cemetery.


References


Sources

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External links


''Beovich, Matthew''
at the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition. {{DEFAULTSORT:Beovich, Matthew Roman Catholic archbishops of Adelaide 1896 births 1981 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Australia People from Carlton, Victoria Clergy from Melbourne Australian people of Irish descent Australian people of Croatian descent People educated at St Joseph's College, Melbourne