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Bishop Rosendo SalvadoPrint Page Print this page

28-March-2013
28-March-2013

Photographs supplied by Bryan Hardy

The sculpture commemorates Bishop Rosado, the founder of New Norcia.

Dom Rosendo Salvado Rotea OSB (1814 – 1900) was a Spanish Benedictine monk, missionary, bishop, author, founder and first Abbot of the Territorial Abbey of New Norcia, in Western Australia.

Strongly desiring to labor in the foreign missions, his wish was granted after John Brady was consecrated as first Bishop of the Diocese of Perth. With his longtime friend Father Joseph Serra OSB, Salvado sailed from London with the Bishop's party and landed in Fremantle in January 1846. At Brady's instruction, Salvado and Serra, alongside a small party of their fellow Benedictines, journeyed deep into the Victoria Plains via ox drawn cart. On 1 March 1846, they founded "The Central Mission" in the midst of the bush, intending to convert the Aborigines to Catholicism. This was later renamed "New Norcia," after the birthplace of St. Benedict.

In 1849, Salvado sailed for Europe to raise funds for the Mission, accompanied by two young Aboriginal boys, Joseph Conaci and Francis Dirimera. Salvado was consecrated Bishop of Port Essington in August of that year, much against his will, as he strongly desired to return to New Norcia. After Port Essington was abandoned, however, he was left as a Bishop without a See. He returned to Australia in 1853, accompanied by a large number of priests and monks bound for the Australian Missions and especially for New Norcia. For four years he administered the Diocese of Perth during Bishop Serra's absence in Europe. He returned to New Norcia in 1857.

He died in 1900 at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, while on a visit to Rome. His body was returned to New Norcia three years later and buried in a tomb of Carrara marble behind the high altar of the Abbey church.

Location

Address:Salvado Road, Subiaco, 6008
State:WA
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -31.943015
Long: 115.825849
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Sculpture
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Religion
Designer:Greg James

Dedication

Approx. Monument Dedication Date:2011
Front Inscription

City of Subiaco

Dom Rosendo Salvado 1814 - 1900

Benedictine monk, early settler, missionary, musician and author, who came to Western Australia in 1846.

Dom Salvado, a man of energy, personal magnetism and inspirational leadership, worked with Dom Joseph Serra and their brother monks to establish the Benedictine Community of New Norcia 161 kilometeres north of Perth.

During the 1850s they developed a second monastery called New Subiaco less than a kilomtere north of this site.

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au