John Christian MACCULLAGH

MACCULLAGH, JOHN CHRISTIAN (b. Dublin, Ireland, 6 June 1832; d. Melbourne, Vic, 24 Sept 1917). Anglican clergyman.

John, the son of James and Mary (née Holmes) MacCullagh, was educated privately and at TCD. Intending to become an overseas missionary, he entered the CMS Training College at Islington, but the doctors advised him to give up study because of eye trouble. He migrated to Australia in 1863 and shortly afterwards spent several years at Moore College studying for the ministry. He was ordained deacon 18 Dec 1864 and priest 27 May 1866 by Bp Perry in St James' Pro-Cathedral, Melbourne.

His first charge was Lancefield, where he had an outstanding ministry from 1867-70. On 26 Dec 1865, he m. Elizabeth Ince of Hawthorn, but sadly she died on 22 Oct 1870 aged 27. MacCullagh's grief at the loss of his young wife was so intense that he not only resigned from Lancefield, but also contemplated leaving the sacred ministry altogether. Bp Perry, realising his disturbed state, arranged for him to become the rector of the newly-formed parish of St Paul's, Bendigo, where he began his long ministry of 46 years.

MacCullagh was a convinced evangelical, and commenced his ministry at St Paul's by preaching on the text 'For I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified', the text on which he preached at every anniversary of his induction for the next 46 years. As a pastor he was superb, and his care of people was such that his name became a legend in Bendigo for many years, even after his death. Nobody of the parish and beyond considered that they were properly baptised, married or even laid to rest unless he officiated. He knew everyone in Bendigo and everyone knew him. As a preacher he had more than a fair share of Irish eloquence and kindly wit. With the poor, the needy and the bereaved he was generous to a fault. He never remarried.

One of the most outstanding features of his ministry at St Paul's was the growth of the Sunday school, which in the early 1900s had over 1100 pupils with 80 teachers. He attracted outstanding curates, including the Rev (later archdeacon) H S Begbie (q.v.) and the Rev W C Sadlier (q.v.). One of his Sunday school pupils, S J Kirkby (q.v.) later became a bishop-coadjutor in the diocese of Sydney.

MacCullagh was appointed to the influential position of archdeacon of Bendigo in 1883. With other leading clergy and laity of the archdeaconry, he resolutely opposed moves for the formation of the new diocese until a fair and equitable proportion of the revenue from the St James' lands was promised. When this occurred the Bendigo group agreed to the New Dioceses Bill of 1901 by which the dioceses of Bendigo, Wangaratta and Gippsland came into being in 1902. The Bendigo synod representatives also urged the appointment of MacCullagh as their first bp, but Archdeacon H A Langley (q.v.) was elected instead. At the first Church Assembly (or synod) of the diocese of Bendigo MacCullagh was appointed Dean, even though All Saints', not his church of St Paul's, became the Pro-Cathedral.

A number of smaller churches grew from St Paul's as the population of Bendigo increased. St Stephen's, Emu Creek started in 1888, St Philip's, Spring Gully and Christ Church, Strickland Road in 1898, and Holy Trinity, Hallam Street in 1908, all in their early days being ministered to by clergy or lay readers from St Paul's directed by Dean MacCullagh.

MacCullagh resigned from St Paul's in 1916 because of ill-health brought on by age. He retired to Hawksburn, Melbourne, where he died on 24 September 1917. He was buried alongside the wife of his youth at the Lancefield Cemetery the next day, a memorial service being held at St Paul's at the same time. Many eulogies were expressed by the clergy in local and Melbourne press and in church journals. All acknowledged that he had been a man of great faith and compassion who had had a wonderful vision for the kingdom of God in the city of Bendigo.

Keith Cole, Men of Faith and Vision: Archdeacon Archibald Crawford and Dean John Christian MacCullagh (Bendigo, 1989)

KEITH COLE