Cardinal Patrick Francis MoranPrint Page

The statue commemorates Patrick Francis Moran (1830 – 1911) who was the third Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney.

He was personally chosen and promoted by Pope Leo XIII to head the Archdiocese of Sydney — a clear policy departure from the previous English Benedictine incumbents (Polding, Vaughan) who were experiencing tension leading the predominantly Irish-Australian Catholics. Moran was appointed to Australia on the 25 January 1884 and arrived on 8 September 1884. He was created Cardinal-Priest on 27 July 1885 of the title of St Susanna. The new Irish-Australian cardinal made it his business to make his presence and leadership felt.

Over his episcopate, Moran consecrated 14 bishops (he was the principal consecrator of William Joseph Walsh, Michael Verdon, Patrick Vincent Dwyer, Armand Olier and also assisted in consecrating Patrick Clune, among others). He ordained nearly 500 priests, dedicated more than 5000 churches and professed more than 500 nuns. He made five journeys to Rome on church business between 1885 and 1903.

After his death in 1911, aged 80, a quarter of a million people (the largest crowd ever to gather in Australia until that date) witnessed his funeral procession through the centre of Sydney. He is buried in St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney.

As the ecclesiastical procession left the Cathedral after the High Mass on Sunday, the statue of the late Cardinal Moran at the main entrance was unveiled by Cardinal Cerretti. He gently pulled the white and golden ribbons, the colours of the Papacy, attached to the canvas covering that shrouded the bronzed figure. The ceremony was of the briefest. After the Papal Legate had paused on the steps of the Cathedral with his renowned courtesy for the convenience of a small army of photographers, the procession was resumed. Engraved in stone at the base of Sir Bertram McKennal's imposing figure of the late Cardinal is the inscription: "Patrick Francis Cardinal Moran, Bishop of Ossory, 1872-1884, Archbishop of Sydney, 1884-1911. A tribute by the Hibernian Australian Catholic Benefit Society of Australasia to a worthy son of Catholic Ireland, her great gift to Australia."
Catholic Press (Sydney), 6 September 1928. 

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