Jesuit Offenders Intro.
  P.J. Stephenson s.j.
    Peter Beer s.j.
  Noel Bradford s.j.
  Willi Kovac
  John Byrne s.j.
  Joseph Craig s.j.
  Richard Galbraith s.j.
Paul Schulze s.j.
Brenton Lewis s.j.
W. "Bill" Marum
Eldon Hogan
  Tim. Carter s.j.
Philip. Wallbridge s.j.
  G. (Mac) Larkin s.j.
Richard (Donal) Lane s.j.
  Henry Sneddon s.j.
Brian Purcell s.j.
  Stan Hogan s.j.
Larry Kean
  J.R. Boylan s.j.
Michael O’Mahoney s.j.
  Victor Higgs s.j.
  Peter Quin s.j.
  Celso Romanin s.j.
Brian O'Reilly
Glen Walls
Boarders Master A
  Theo Overberg s.j.
  Peter Kelly s.j.
James McInerny s.j.
David Rankin s.j.
  Patrick O'Sullivan s.j.
Lawrence Leonard s.j.
  Paul McMahon
  Leo Flynn SJ
  Stephen Hamra
  Philip Astley SJ
  Colin Fearon
  Kevin Carroll s.j.
  Peter Bohrsmann
  W. "Bill" James

PERSONS OF INTEREST
  Walter Logue SJ
  Malcolm Joseph

Alleged Sex Abuser

Fr John Byrne

source: Broken Rites

The Catholic Jesuit order in Australia has acknowledged that a Jesuit priest, Fr John Byrne,
engaged in what it euphemistically described as "problematic behaviour" against pupils.
Byrne taught at prominent Catholic schools in Melbourne and Sydney.

According to the Australian Dictionary of Jesuit Biography, John Byrne was born in Gunnedah
in rural New South Wales, on 29 February 1912. He gained a scholarship that gave him
secondary schooling with the Jesuits. Ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1947,
he spent his whole career working as a teacher in Jesuit schools:

Xavier College, Melbourne, until 1949;
St Patrick's College, East Melbourne, 1950-61;
St Ignatius College, Riverview, Sydney, 1962-66; and
Burke Hall (the preparatory school of Xavier College), Melbourne, 1967-72.

At his final school, Burke Hall, Byrne was prefect of studies and discipline. According to students,
Byrne would take a boy to his private quarters to be punished. According to a Jesuit
colleague, Byrne was removed from Burke Hall during 1972,
evidently because of his "problematic behaviour".
This was the last year that he worked in a school environment, near boys.
Thereafter, he was transferred to an office position.

Byrne died in Melbourne on 23 December 1974 aged 62.

A church investigation confirms abuse

A former student, Mark, says that he was sexually abused by Fr John Byrne at Xavier College's
preparatory school (Burke Hall) in Melbourne in 1971 when Mark was aged 11. Mark says it was
sadistic violent abuse. Mark says that this abuse, plus the church's cover-up, disrupted his
teenage development and his later life.

In 2005, Mark lodged a complaint with the Catholic Church's Professional Standards Office
(the PSO) in Sydney. On 23 December 2005 a senior Jesuit, Fr Geoffrey King, who was in
charge of professional-standards matters for the Australian Jesuits, wrote to Mark, stating:

"I must say that your account of events at Burke Hall bears very much the ring of truth . . .
It is certainly true that John Byrne was moved from Burke Hall during 1972,
and there seems good reason to suspect that it was as a result of some
problematic behaviour on his part."

In May 2006 the PSO appointed a solicitor/mediator to investigate Mark's complaint
and to interview priests who were colleagues of Father Byrne. The Jesuits could not
assist with the investigation but when Mark referred the solicitor/mediator to some
of the pupils who were in his class, significant corroborative evidence was found.
On 30 October 2006, the solicitor/mediator reported that Mark's allegations "are justified".
The PSO then wrote to Mark, confirming that Mark's allegations had been substantiated
to the "adequate evidentiary standard".

The PSO arranged a facilitation meeting with Mark at which the Jesuits offered Mark
a "financial gesture", provided that Mark signed away his rights to seek a more
appropriate figure. Mark declined this "gesture" as it was an amount that he
considered not to be commensurate with the damage done to his life.

However, eventually Mark and the Jesuits reached agreement about an amount of settlement,
and the Jesuits then sent their compensation cheque to Mark.


from: Paul Chaplin Thursday 9th of April 2020
This bloke was a sadistic prick. I had to front him regularly in his little ground floor office where he doled out his punishment, a regular two, or four cuts.
On one of my last interactions he advised I needed to drop my shorts as I was going to be strapped on my buttocks.
That was not going to happen and stood my ground, 6 on the hands was dosed out along with several sessions of detention.



♦ jesuit archives


Byrne, John, 1912-1974, Jesuit priest
IE IJA J/987 Person 29 February 1912-23 December 1974

Born: 29 February 1912, Gunnedah, NSW, Australia
Entered: 06 February 1931, Loyola Greenwich, Australia (HIB)
Ordained: 08 January 1944
Professed: 15 August 1947
Died: 23 December 1974, St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia - Australiae Province (ASL)

Part of the Burke Hall, Kew, Melbourne, Australia community at the time of death

Transcribed HIB to ASL : 05 April 1931

◆ David Strong SJ “The Australian Dictionary of Jesuit Biography 1848-2015”, 2nd Edition, Halstead Press, Ultimo NSW, Australia, 2017 - ISBN : 9781925043280 :
He was the youngest of three children and his mother died when he was ten months old. His father remarried and place his three children in an orphanage.
The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, cared for him at St Anthony's, Kew 1916-1926.
In 1926 he was given a scholarship to St Ignatius College Riverview and then entered the Society in 1931, influenced by William Lockington.

1931-1937 After First Vows he remained at Loyola Greenwich for a Juniorate which he continued at Loyola Watsonia,
studying English, Greek, Latin and Mathematics. Hen then studied Philosophy, during which time his sister drowned, and perhaps not accidentally.

1938-1940 He was sent for regency to Xavier College Kew,
1941-1944 He studied Theology at Canisius College Pymble and was Ordained 1944.
1945-1946 He returned to Xavier College
1946-1947 He made Tertianship under John Fahy at Loyola Watsonia
1947-1949 He returned to Xavier College, mainly teach Mathematics and being assistant Prefect of Studies
1949-1962 He was sent to St Patrick’s College Melbourne, teaching Senior Mathematics. He was also Minister and Librarian at various times.
1962-1966 He was at St Ignatius College Riverview teaching Religion, Mathematics and Greek, and also editing “Our Alma Mater” (1964-1966)
1966-1973 He was sent to Burke Hall Kew, teaching Latin and Religion, and was also Prefect of Studies in 1972, his last year there.

He returned in 1973 and was made Superior of the Provincial Residence and secretary to the Provincial.
However, early in 1974 his health began to deteriorate and a tumour on the brain was discovered.
He died at St Vincent’s Hospital after about six months