RIP Br Frank McGrath: Remembering a Much-Respected Scholar and Devoted Marist
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On 29 April, Br Frank McGrath passed away in Brisbane, Australia. Below is an obituary written by Br Darren Burge, the Provincial of the Star of the Sea Province.
It is with great sadness that I advise you of the peaceful passing of Br Frank McGrath at 7.30pm last night in Brisbane. In recent days, Frank’s health deteriorated rapidly, as swallowing difficulties led him to significantly reduce his eating and drinking. He declined gradually over this time but did not experience significant pain. The Brothers from his community kept vigil during the past week. In the final days, they also gathered in prayer with Frank, his sister Aileen, and her husband on several occasions, which was a blessing. He passed away peacefully last night on the eve of his 91st birthday.
He had been a Marist Brother for almost 62 years.
Francis Joseph McGrath was born on 30 April 1935 in Paddington, Brisbane to William and Eileen. He was the fourth of six children. He attended Sacred Heart Primary, Rosalie with the Sisters of Mercy, then moved to Marist Brothers, Rosalie where he first had contact with the Brothers.
After school, he went to Teachers’ College at Kelvin Grove and taught at a number of Brisbane schools before moving to Marist Brothers Ashgrove, where he taught English and French. He was an excellent teacher and completed a Bachelor of Arts part-time majoring in English, French and Philosophy. It was while teaching at Ashgrove that he decided to join the Brothers.
This took him to Mittagong in 1964 for the postulancy at age 28, to join a group mostly aged in their late teens. However, one in his group has said, “Frank’s influence and contribution to the group was profound”. And another member of his group said, “he had a wickedly humorous personality that would create merriment for all of us in the darkest of times. He knew the secret art of satirical humour and could deliver it with a cutting mirthful exuberance”.
Frank entered the novitiate on 2 July 1964 and took first vows a year later on 2 July 1965. After taking vows, Frank went on to teach at Pagewood, North Sydney, Canberra, Randwick then briefly at Parramatta, Mitchelton in Brisbane and Eastwood. His students remember him as a masterful teacher of English, French and Media, one who taught them to think critically.
While at the Novitiate, Frank discovered the writings of John Henry Cardinal Newman when he stumbled upon the book, “Apologia Pro Vita Sua”, Newman’s spiritual autobiography. Frank described this book as a revelation. Little did he, or anyone at the time know that this would have life changing effects. Frank pursued this interest in the decades that followed.
After the Second Novitiate he studied at Boston College under the famed theologian, Bernard Lonergan.
Frank explains that Lonergan taught him the psychology of research giving him the courage, confidence and method to push ahead with his studies of Newman. In his mind, he was indeed fortunate to be one of Lonergan’s last pupils and he gained greatly from his distilled wisdom of 84 years.
Frank’s health had been compromised for many years. The first and shocking health episode that he faced was in 1983 when he suddenly lost his hearing, a major blow for a classroom teacher. This was probably one of the factors that encouraged him to take refuge in books and research, for which he had a natural inclination. In recent years, he has faced challenges from age-related health concerns, including two strokes and heart problems.
After Frank’s hearing failed, he was given many opportunities to pursue further studies. Frank believed that what was originally a setback turned out to be a plus because he had to change course. It was in a hospital bed in Melbourne, recovering from his sudden hearing loss, that he had the idea of delving more deeply into the life and work of John Henry Newman.
From 1983 to 1990 he completed a Doctorate in Newman Studies at Oxford University and there came under the influence of scholars such as John Macquarie and Rowan Williams – later the Archbishop of Canterbury. He became well known in Newman circles. His doctoral thesis was later published (1994) under the title John Henry Newman: Universal Revelation.
On his return from Oxford, Frank, together with his colleague John Coles, was commissioned to write several Theological Distance Education Programs for adults to be used throughout Australia. The program aimed to give people, no matter where they lived, the chance to undertake theological study with some substance. One student completed the course on an oil rig! Thousands of people completed those courses over a number of years, and many went on to Masters and Doctoral Degrees.
In 2003, while Frank was working at Brisbane Catholic Education, he received an invitation to take over the task of being the Editor of Newman’s Letters and Diaries – as the previous editor had suddenly died. This meant moving to Birmingham and residing at the Oratory where Newman’s vast collection was housed. With Br John Thompson’s encouragement, he agreed.
Frank has authored and edited several scholarly works on John Henry Newman, including studies on his theology, letters, diaries, and sermons. Frank worked on this task solidly for seven years and he made an extraordinary contribution. He was the last of seven editors who had worked on Newman’s voluminous papers. In all, he worked on one sixth of the Newman volumes published over a 60-year period.
Through his editing of Newman’s Letters and Diaries and his Anglican Sermons, Frank established himself as “the world’s leading expert on Newman’s Life”. Only two years ago, when Peter Carroll was visiting Paul Creevey at the University of Leuven, he mentioned Frank McGrath to one of his colleagues, and he was delighted to hear about the ‘famous Newman scholar!’ Ken McDonald has also explained that if you mention Frank’s name in certain parts of Rome, they acknowledge Frank’s academic acumen with awe.
One of the significant results of Frank’s work was that it added to the material available for consideration in Newman’s cause at the Vatican. In fact, it was very soon after Frank completed his work that Pope Benedict XVI beatified Newman. Frank was at the Oratory on that day to meet the Pope and explain his work. Just nine years later Newman was canonised by Pope Francis. Undoubtedly, Frank’s work assisted the process.
Frank was quite an extraordinary man; something of a recluse in recent years, but a happy one. His life and faith were deeply influenced by Newman, causing him to go from being a young lad in a poor suburb of Brisbane, to studying in some of the world’s most prestigious universities becoming a world-renowned scholar. Fascinatingly, one of the aspects of Newman’s life that appealed to Frank, and no doubt influenced his own faith, was that he had an enormous faith and trust in the providence of God, believing that everything would turn out all right in the end.
Frank had been living in Brisbane since his return from Birmingham in 2002. His health had deteriorated, and his desire for company had diminished. However, he had been content, satisfied and peaceful. According to one of his friends, “Frank has aged like fine wine: mature, complex, cheeky, vintage Aussie”.
I offer our sympathy to the Brothers of his community and to his family. We are also most grateful for the exceptional care he received from our nurses and the doctors in the community.
May he rest peacefully in the presence of our Lord.
-Br Darren Burge
Provincial
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