Tales for the Crypt for Perth's deceased bishops from Cavan

When a newly restored 146-year-old cathedral opened this week in Perth, Western Australia, complete with a crypt built to hold the remains of its former bishops, it was missing the remains of three Irish bishops, one of whom is from Cavan. The missing prelates at the €25m revamped St. Mary's Cathedral include Perth's first bishop, who was largely responsible for the building of the cathedral, and another who tried to broker a peace deal with Lloyd George on behalf of the Irish forces in 1920 during the War of Independence. The third figure, an auxiliary bishop, is buried in Ireland. Absent from the blessing ceremony will be the remains of Bishop John Brady, Perth's original bishop, who was from Corratober, was born in 1800 and ordained a priest in 1825. Twenty years later he was ordained as Bishop of Perth, the first time that appointment had been made in Western Australia. In response to a request from a teacher in Perth for a priest for the small catholic community in the city Brady arrived in Perth in 1843. While his first visit to Perth lasted just two months, before an extended period in Italy, Brady was granted land on Victoria Avenue in Perth and immediately began building St. John's Pro-Cathedral. He returned two years later and spend many years in WA but died in Europe in 1871 and was buried at Amelie les Bains in France. Construction work on St. Mary's cathedral began in 1863. "There is also a possibility that the first Bishop of Perth, Bishop John Brady (died 1871) will be placed in the crypt at some future date," said Fr. Robert Cross, a qualified archeologist. "However, given that he is buried in France the decision to proceed with this is still under consideration. It is my hope and the hope of others that he will be exhumed and returned." The other former bishops who are not interred in the crypt are Patrick Joseph Clune (1864-1935) who was born in Ruan, Co. Clare and served as Perth's bishop and archbishop from 1910 until his death in 1935 when he was buried at Perth's main cemetery, Karrakatta. The third high ranking Irish cleric with close links to St. Mary's cathedral who will not be interred in the crypt is Bishop John Joseph Rafferty. Born in Killaloe in 1912 he was the second auxillary bishop of Perth to be appointed. "He was ordained a priest at St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny in 1936 and came to Perth soon after and worked mostly in the Cathedral," said Fr. Cross. "He was consecrated a bishop in October 1955. "Whilst visiting his family in Killaloe in 1962 he had a heart attack and died and is buried near the entrance to the church in Killaloe," he added.