John Edmund Luck
Encyclopedia
John Edmund Luck OSB was the fourth Catholic Bishop of Auckland
, New Zealand
(1882-1896).
, Surrey
, England, on 18 March 1840, one of seven children of Alfred Luck, a warehouseman, and his wife, Clementina Golding. Theirs was a profoundly religious household. After the death of his wife about 1847, Alfred Luck, a convert to Catholicism, shifted his family to Ramsgate
in Kent
. There he bought the home of the Gothic Revival architect Augustus Welby Pugin, and, at his own expense, built the monastery for the Benedictine
community which was established nearby in 1856. Alfred Luck and one of his sons subsequently became diocesan priests, two of his daughters became nuns, and two other sons became Benedictines. These were John and his younger brother Francis, who was to precede John to New Zealand by two years.
in Paris, Luck was professed as a Benedictine in 1861, taking the name of Edmund. He then went to Rome to complete his theological studies, acquiring a doctorate of divinity at the Collegio Romano in 1865, the year he was ordained priest. The next two years he spent teaching philosophy at Subiaco
, in central Italy, after which he spent 15 years at monasteries in England and Ireland. During that time he published two substantial books. Short meditations for every day of the year (1879) he translated from an Italian original; The life and miracles of St Benedict (1880) was a new edition of a work by Pope Gregory I
, originally translated into English in 1606. Luck was stationed at Ramsgate when he was appointed Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand. He was consecrated there by Cardinal H. E. Manning on 3 August 1882, and arrived in Auckland in November that year.
resigned as the first Bishop of Auckland in 1869, he was succeeded by two bishops who served for short terms with a period of five years between them when there was no bishop. This meant that administrative problems that had dogged the Catholic Diocese of Auckland since the 1850s remained unresolved. Thomas William Croke
, although he restored the diocese's finances, stayed only from December 1870 until January 1874. Walter Steins
SJ
became bishop in December 1879, but died in September 1881. However, Steins did introduce the Benedictine order to Auckland and this opened the way for the appointment of a Benedictine bishop.
Luck gave the diocese a lengthy period of stable, careful and constructive leadership. He was assiduous in pastoral visitation, held two synods (1884 and 1888), and twice (1884 and 1891) visited Europe to collect staff and money. He developed Catholic education, introducing several new religious orders to the diocese. In 1883 the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart
and in 1884 the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions
arrived to complement the Sisters of Mercy
in staffing parish schools. The Marist Brothers
came in 1885 to operate schools for boys. In 1888 the Little Sisters of the Poor
opened a home in Ponsonby
for the aged poor. In 1886 Luck obtained members of the Society of Joseph for the Foreign Missions
, known as the Mill Hill fathers
, for work among the Māori people, who, except for the mission of James McDonald
, had been neglected by the Catholic Church since the 1860's. He completed the nave
of St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland
in 1885 and he had built the bishop's house which stands on a site in Ponsonby purchased by Pompallier in 1853. This large house was designed by Augustus Pugin's sons
, and is the finest example of the Pugin style of architecture in New Zealand.
Bishop Luck died in Auckland on 23 January 1896.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Auckland
The Latin Rite Catholic Diocese of Auckland is one of the two original dioceses in New Zealand. Although formally a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Wellington, both were erected on 20 June 1848...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(1882-1896).
Early life
Luck was born in PeckhamPeckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England, on 18 March 1840, one of seven children of Alfred Luck, a warehouseman, and his wife, Clementina Golding. Theirs was a profoundly religious household. After the death of his wife about 1847, Alfred Luck, a convert to Catholicism, shifted his family to Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. There he bought the home of the Gothic Revival architect Augustus Welby Pugin, and, at his own expense, built the monastery for the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
community which was established nearby in 1856. Alfred Luck and one of his sons subsequently became diocesan priests, two of his daughters became nuns, and two other sons became Benedictines. These were John and his younger brother Francis, who was to precede John to New Zealand by two years.
Education and monastic life
After two years' study at the Seminary of St SulpiceSaint-Sulpice (Paris)
Saint-Sulpice is a Roman Catholic church in Paris, France, on the east side of the Place Saint-Sulpice, in the Luxembourg Quarter of the VIe arrondissement. At 113 metres long, 58 metres in width and 34 metres tall, it is only slightly smaller than Notre-Dame and thus the second largest church in...
in Paris, Luck was professed as a Benedictine in 1861, taking the name of Edmund. He then went to Rome to complete his theological studies, acquiring a doctorate of divinity at the Collegio Romano in 1865, the year he was ordained priest. The next two years he spent teaching philosophy at Subiaco
Subiaco, Italy
Subiaco is a town and comune in the Province of Rome, in Lazio, Italy, from Tivoli alongside the river Aniene. It is mainly renowned as a tourist and religious resort for its sacred grotto , in the St. Benedict's Abbey, and the other Abbey of St. Scholastica...
, in central Italy, after which he spent 15 years at monasteries in England and Ireland. During that time he published two substantial books. Short meditations for every day of the year (1879) he translated from an Italian original; The life and miracles of St Benedict (1880) was a new edition of a work by Pope Gregory I
Pope Gregory I
Pope Gregory I , better known in English as Gregory the Great, was pope from 3 September 590 until his death...
, originally translated into English in 1606. Luck was stationed at Ramsgate when he was appointed Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand. He was consecrated there by Cardinal H. E. Manning on 3 August 1882, and arrived in Auckland in November that year.
Bishop of Auckland
After Jean Baptiste François PompallierJean Baptiste Pompallier
Jean Baptiste François Pompallier was the first vicar apostolic to visit New Zealand. He was born in Lyon, France. He became the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland.-Appointment and voyage:...
resigned as the first Bishop of Auckland in 1869, he was succeeded by two bishops who served for short terms with a period of five years between them when there was no bishop. This meant that administrative problems that had dogged the Catholic Diocese of Auckland since the 1850s remained unresolved. Thomas William Croke
Thomas Croke
Thomas William Croke D.D. was the second Catholic Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand and later Archbishop of Cashel and Emly in Ireland...
, although he restored the diocese's finances, stayed only from December 1870 until January 1874. Walter Steins
Walter Steins
Walter Hermanus Jacobus Steins SJ was a Dutch Jesuit priest, Vicar Apostolic of Bombay, India , Vicar Apostolic of West Bengal and , third Catholic Bishop of Auckland ....
SJ
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
became bishop in December 1879, but died in September 1881. However, Steins did introduce the Benedictine order to Auckland and this opened the way for the appointment of a Benedictine bishop.
Luck gave the diocese a lengthy period of stable, careful and constructive leadership. He was assiduous in pastoral visitation, held two synods (1884 and 1888), and twice (1884 and 1891) visited Europe to collect staff and money. He developed Catholic education, introducing several new religious orders to the diocese. In 1883 the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart
Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart
The Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, often called the Josephites , were founded in Penola, South Australia in 1866 by Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods....
and in 1884 the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions
Congregation of Our Lady of the Missions
The Congregation of Our Lady of the Missions is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women. They were founded in Lyons, France in 1861 by Euphrasie Barbier. The Congregation's presence is felt worldwide...
arrived to complement the Sisters of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
in staffing parish schools. The Marist Brothers
Marist Brothers
The Marist Brothers, or Little Brothers of Mary, are a Catholic religious order of brothers and affiliated lay people. The order was founded in France, at La Valla-en-Gier near Lyon in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest of the Society of Mary...
came in 1885 to operate schools for boys. In 1888 the Little Sisters of the Poor
Little Sisters of the Poor
The Little Sisters of the Poor is a Roman Catholic religious order for women. It was founded in the 19th century by Saint Jeanne Jugan near Rennes, France. Jugan felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns and cities.This led her to welcome an...
opened a home in Ponsonby
Ponsonby, New Zealand
Ponsonby is an inner-city suburb of Auckland City located 2 km west of the Auckland CBD, in the North Island of New Zealand. The suburb is oriented along a ridge running north-south, which is followed by the main street of the suburb, Ponsonby Road....
for the aged poor. In 1886 Luck obtained members of the Society of Joseph for the Foreign Missions
Mill Hill Missionaries
Mill Hill Missionaries is a society of Catholic missionaries founded in 1866.-External links:* * * http://www.vocationsireland.com/missionpriests/millhill.html...
, known as the Mill Hill fathers
Mill Hill Missionaries
Mill Hill Missionaries is a society of Catholic missionaries founded in 1866.-External links:* * * http://www.vocationsireland.com/missionpriests/millhill.html...
, for work among the Māori people, who, except for the mission of James McDonald
McDonald brothers (priests)
The brothers James McDonald and Walter McDonald were Catholic missionary priests and ecclesiatical administrators in early Auckland.-Early life:...
, had been neglected by the Catholic Church since the 1860's. He completed the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
of St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland
St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland
The Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph is the Cathedral of the Catholic Bishop of Auckland.-Origins:...
in 1885 and he had built the bishop's house which stands on a site in Ponsonby purchased by Pompallier in 1853. This large house was designed by Augustus Pugin's sons
Pugin & Pugin
Pugin & Pugin was a London-based family firm of ecclesiastical architects, founded in the Westminster office of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin . The firm was succeeded by his sons Cuthbert Welby Pugin and Peter Paul Pugin after the death of their elder brother, Edward Welby Pugin...
, and is the finest example of the Pugin style of architecture in New Zealand.
Bishop Luck died in Auckland on 23 January 1896.