Getting to know our Parish Priests - Father John O'Shea PP

Father John Aloysius O’Shea M.A. Adm was born in 1924 in Moonee Ponds and died aged 68 on 5th October, 1992.

He was ordained a priest in 1949 and had a sister, Joan, who took the name Sister Rene and worked at St Josephs Convent in Newport. 

Father John O'Shea was a significant figure at St Mary’s serving as Parish Priest in the 1950s and 1960s. He is most notably remembered for modernising the parish's liturgical practices in the late 1960s, following Vatican II. 

Key details regarding his tenure and impact include: 

• Liturgical Reforms: Following the Second Vatican Council, Fr O'Shea introduced the practice of the priest facing the congregation during Mass and installed the parish's original wooden altar as the main altar (it was repainted to match the high altar and placed on a refurbished platform.)
• Parish Leadership: He served at Ascot Vale during the late 1960s, a period that saw the opening of a gymnasium in the Guild Hall (1966) and the introduction of sacrificial giving (1963 - 1966.).
• Reputation: Local historical accounts describe him as "highly competent" and note he was the brother of a judge. 

Information here was derived from Victorian Births Deaths and Marriages, Trove (notably The Advocate) and our own short history of the parish. Thanks to the History Group for the information.