Norman Thomas Gilroy - Work As Archbishop of Sydney

Work As Archbishop of Sydney

Gilroy enforced strict discipline in accordance with the Code of Canon Law on his clergy, who had grown lax under the elderly Michael Kelly. In so doing, he acquired a reputation of an "iron man". He always maintained his exacting standards, but showed compassion for those who failed to meet them.

Much of his energy was devoted to providing churches and schools for his flock. By 1971 he had 366 schools with 115,704 pupils, staffed by 751 Brothers and 2992 nuns, as well as lay teachers. He was unable to bring to concrete realization his plan to establish a Catholic university, but was to some extent successful in his project to found a faculty of theology at Manly, New South Wales.

The 1954 split of the Australian Labor Party saw a marked difference of opinion between Gilroy and Archbishop Daniel Mannix of Melbourne, who backed B.A. Santamaria's "Movement" (the episcopally sponsored Catholic Social Studies Movement). Gilroy avoided direct political comment and believed that the church should not become involved in politics. But like most Sydney Irish Roman Catholics, he had grown up as a supporter of the Australian Labor Party, and was a confidant of Roman Catholic Labor Premiers of New South Wales Joseph Cahill. He firmly opposed Santamaria's activities and banned the distribution of Movement literature in Sydney churches. As a result of the close relationship between Gilroy and Cahill, there was no split in the New South Wales Labor Party.