Fr Brian Lawrence Jordan

Early Life

Brian Jordan was born in Adelaide on November 8, 1929. His early education was at the Dominican Convent, Franklin Street and later at Rostrevor College.

He began his ecclesiastical studies at St Francis Xavier Seminary in 1948 and completed them at St Patrick’s College Manly. He was ordained to the priesthood in St Francis Xavier Cathedral on July 18, 1953. 

His first appointment in January 1954 was as Assistant Priest at Naracoorte where he remained for four years. He then moved to Keswick and after a brief period of three months at Mt Gambier, following the sudden death of Fr Bob Tully, he was appointed Administrator at Mt Barker. In February 1962 he was appointed Parish Priest of Snowtown, and five years later to Christies Beach and also Administrator of Morphett Vale parish.

Life after Parish Priest

Due to ill-health he resigned as Parish Priest at the end of 1970 and early the following year he was appointed to the staff of St Francis Xavier Seminary to work with the Vincentian Fathers. He was quite happy with this appointment, as parish work was not his first choice in life.

Fr Brian had a brilliant mind and was more of an academic at heart. Apart from his teaching role at the Seminary he continued in a number of other duties like the in-service training of teachers and the teaching of adults through the Catholic Adult Education Centre. He frequently spoke about the Catholic Faith on radio and television, he was asked to prepare sermon notes for the three year Scripture cycle at Mass, which were also published through the Southern Cross.

From 1967 onwards he served on the Senate of Priests and also on the Diocesan Pastoral Council where he always made valuable contributions. He also helped in the development of Regions of Priests and the formation of the National Council of Priests.

In April 1973 he was elected the first Chairman of the Roman Catholic/ Lutheran Dialogue, where he acknowledged as a great theologian.

He continued many of these activities despite his ongoing health problems which finally brought his life to an end in the Royal Adelaide Hospital on June 16, 1976. He was only 46 years old.

Following his death there were many tributes paid to his intelligence, pastoral concern and personal attributes. At the meeting of the Senate of Priests a few days after his death Chairman Fr Peter Ward said: “Fr Brian Jordan was, as we all know, a man of rare intellectual ability and yet had that happy ability to be simple in his approach to others who were less gifted…More than his ability it was the person that Fr Brian was in his relationship with priests – warm, jovial, friendly – and this leaves us with a sense of loss.”

Many Tributes

In a letter to Archbishop Gleeson, Fr Alan Commins, former rector of the seminary, in paying tribute to Brian wrote: “He was a fine character, manly, honest, loyal and uncluttered – fully human in his strengths and weaknesses. He had a fine mind, conservative to a degree, but yet open, with the ‘instinct’ of Faith guiding him. In spite of his seeming assertiveness and ruthless honesty he was sensitive and felt deeply. He was certainly loved and respected by so many.”

At his Funeral Mass in the Cathedral on June 18 Archbishop Gleeson said: “Today we recognise with special reverence the heroism of Fr Brian Jordan as for almost six years he struggled with illness which caused his death. We acknowledge the living out of faith, hope and love in a tremendous spirit of joy which was characteristic of him over that time. Today we mourn the loss of a great priest of this Archdiocese of Adelaide.”

His Funeral Mass was concelebrated by 143 priests, both diocesan and religious and included a number of his contemporaries from student day at St Patrick College Manly. Following the Mass his remains were buried in the Catholic Cemetery, West Terrace, Adelaide.

May he rest in peace.