Edward Wood

Summary

Name: Edward Wood
born: 15 May, 1922
parents: HIlda Daire and George Stanley Wood

Details

A personal profile written by Eddie (written 2001)

A short profile of the times of Edward Wood, (d.o.b. 15 May, 1922), the first-born Australian of this Wood Family, and it is possibly my only claim to fame! Childhood was like any other person of the 1920 - 30's. Life was simple, frugal and generally happy. One of first students at St. Gabriel's School, Reservoir, Victoria, with further education at the Christian Brothers in Clifton Hill and Abbotsford. Apprenticed as precision engineer (toolmaker) at the Ordnance Factory, Maribyrnong where I stayed till well after World War II, followed by new employment in both plastic and metal diemaking. At age 27, while foreman of an engineering shop, I left to study for the priesthood in the Blessed Sacrament Congregation at St. Francis' Church, Melbourne, Victoria's oldest Catholic Church.

Study followed in Australia, Rome and ordination was in Leicester, UK, in 1958. It was the first Catholic ordination in Leicester for 400 years. A chequered career followed first in Australia as Lecturer in theology, philosophy and Sacred Scripture. Superior of St. Francis' Church, later St. Peter Julian's, Sydney and, finally, Provincial Superior of the SSS ( = Blessed Sacrament Congregation ) embracing Australia, Sri Lanka and India. These roles are only temporary and later I was lecturing in Sri Lanka, India and for eight years in Davao, Philippines.This was interspersed with four trips to minister in Indonesia where I was the acting parish priest for the expatriate communities in Jakarta.

Many elements cannot be noted here but now I am back at St. Francis' where my life as a religious and priest began. I am now 79 but still fully engaged in the ministry of this famous church in Melbourne, Victoria. Precise details are in my curriculum vitae. Vale!

Biographical Outline (written 2008)

Born at South Yarra, Victoria, on 15 May 1922, eldest son of George Stanley Wood (1898-1976) and Hilda Daire (1899-2005). Brother of Dorothy (d'ceased), Leslie (d'ceased) , Elizabeth, Barbara, John and Margaret.
Baptised on 28 May 1922 and confirmed on 1 November 1933.
Educated in the late 1920s and 1930s at St Gabriel’s School, Reservoir; St Thomas’ Christian Brothers College, Clifton Hill; and St Joseph’s Christian Brothers Technical College, Abbotsford.
Apprenticed as a precision engineer (toolmaker) at the Ordnance Factory, Maribyrnong from mid-1938, followed by employment after the Second World War in plastic and metal diemaking.
Left his position as foreman of an engineering shop on 27 June 1950 to become an aspirant for the priesthood at St Francis’ Church, where he studied Latin prior to entering the Congregation’s novitiate.
Moved to the Blessed Sacrament Congregation’s novitiate ‘Mount Eymard’ at Bowral, New South Wales on 12 February 1951, where he was accepted as a postulant on 17 February 1951 and took the habit of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation on 19 March 1951.
First profession (temporary vows) made at Bowral on 19 March 1953, before moving to St Francis’ Church, Melbourne to study Philosophy at the commencement of his studies for the priesthood.
Left Australia on 17 August 1954 to continue studies for the priesthood in Rome, Italy at the Angelicum University.
Final profession (permanent vows) in the Blessed Sacrament Congregation made at Rome on 9 July 1956.
Ordained to the priesthood on 4 October 1958 at Blessed Sacrament Church, Leicester, England by The Right Reverend Edward Ellis, Bishop of Nottingham.
Celebrated first Mass at Blessed Sacrament Church, Leicester, England at 10.30 am on Sunday 5 October 1958.
Returned to St Francis’ Church, Melbourne on 19 October 1959.
Posted to the Blessed Sacrament Congregation’s Seminary of Christ the King at Lower Plenty, Victoria on 9 February 1960 as Professor of Philosophy, Sacred Scripture and Greek.
Commenced ‘Fr Joe Says’ (a regular column for children in The Monstrance) in the early 1960s.
Superior (Community Leader) of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation’s Melbourne community at St Francis’ Church between 5 February 1961 and 5 February 1964.
Assistant-Superior of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation’s Sydney community at St Peter Julian’s Church, Haymarket from 6 February 1964 to 11 February 1965.
Returned to the Seminary of Christ the King, Lower Plenty, Victoria, serving as Professor of Dogma from 12 February 1965 to 11 February 1966.
Assistant-Superior and Director of Pastoral Year Students at St Peter Julian’s Church, Haymarket, Sydney from 12 February 1966 to 7 December 1966.
Superior of Sydney community at St Peter Julian’s Church from 8 December 1966 to 27 November 1968.
Appointed Provincial Leader of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation Province of the Holy Spirit (Australia, India and Sri Lanka) on 19 October 1968, serving until 1 August 1970.
Returned to Melbourne community at St Francis’ Church as an ordinary religious member on 2 August 1970. Attended the Second Session of the Congregation’s General Chapter at Rome in 1971 as a delegate, after having attended the First Session in 1969 as Provincial.
Spent three months in Sri Lanka in late 1973/early 1974 teaching Scripture to Blessed Sacrament Congregation students.
Taught Sacred Scripture, the Pentateuch, Prophets, and Sapiential Literature at the Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao, Davao City, Philippines from 3 June 1977 to 5 April 1978 (two semesters).
Served as Third Provincial Consultor of the Province of the Holy Spirit between 1978 and 1981.
Assistant-Superior of Melbourne community at St Francis’ Church from 22 June 1981 until leaving for the Philippines on 3 May 1983.
Lecturer in Old Testament and Spiritual Director at the Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao, Philippines between May 1983 and May 1985 (two semesters each year).
Served the first of five periods as a temporary parish priest for expatriate communities in Jakarta, Indonesia in May 1985 (and later in February/March 1988, March/April 1989, November/December 1993, and February/March 1997). At various times, minor ‘transit’ appointments were also served elsewhere in Asia at Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.
Celebrated Silver Jubilee of Priesthood at Davao City, Philippines on 4 October 1983.
Back in Australia for twelve months from late May 1985 to early June 1986.
Returned to the Philippines to teach Scripture at the Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao from 3 June 1986 to 6 March 1989 (two semesters per year).
Postulant Director at St Francis’ Church, Melbourne during the first half of 1990.
Returned to the Philippines to teach Scripture at the Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao from 7 August 1990 to 9 February 1991 (one semester).
After returning to Australia in February 1991, travelled to India and Sri Lanka in May/June 1991 (and again in June/July 1992) to provide spiritual conferences and teach Blessed Sacrament Congregation seminarians.
Initiated regular Filipino Masses at St Francis’ Church, Melbourne in 1992.
Returned to the Philippines to teach Scripture at the Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao from 1 June 1993 to 18 November 1993 (one semester).
After returning to Australia between December 1993 and August 1994, returned to the Philippines to teach Scripture at the Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao from 31 August 1994 to 1 December 1994 (one semester).
Commenced publishing a regular series of monthly scripture reflections in August 1998 for free distribution at St Francis’ Church (and later published also on the St Francis’ Church website). One hundred and twenty-two ‘Monthly Reflections’ have been issued since 1998 with an average circulation of 1250 copies.
Numerous other articles and publications have also been written by Fr Ed, including Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament: Holy Hour (1987); St Peter Julian Eymard: Novena (1989); and Saint Peter Julian Eymard: Apostle of the Eucharist: Novena Booklet (1996). His publications Saint Peter Julian Eymard: Apostle of the Eucharist: Novena Booklet and Novena to Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament were translated into Indonesian. One Bread, One Body, One People was translated into Cebuano (Philippines).
Golden Jubilee of Priesthood (4 October 1958 – 4 October 2008).