James Murray

James Murray (25 March 1828 – 9 July 1909) was a Roman Catholic bishop, the first resident bishop of the diocese of Maitland in New South Wales, Australia.

Early life Murray was born in County Wicklow, Ireland, the son of James Murray, a farmer, and his wife Catherine, née Doyle.

At 16, his great-uncle sent him to Rome to live at the Pontificio Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide at Rome and study at Pontifical Urban University. He became a protégé of Archbishop Paul Cullen, who was rector of the Pontifical Irish College at the time. In 1851, he was awarded a doctorate for theses on the authority of the Roman Pontiffs. After briefly working in the parishes, he was appointed Archbishop Cullen's private secretary in 1854, who had recently been appointed Archbishop of Dublin.

Episcopate On 14 November 1865 in Dublin, Murray was appointed and consecrated first Bishop of Maitland, (when his cousin Matthew Quinn was also consecrated Bishop of Bathurst) by Cardinal Cullen. In October 1866 he landed in New South Wales, accompanied by nine priests and 16 nuns for the Diocese. After taking possession of the see, the ecclesiastical and educational development of the diocese under his auspices were enormous.

One of his first priorities after taking possession of the Diocese was to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation on the young people. He confirmed 350 candidates in one month. In 1871, he returned to Ireland in a bid to find missionaries and nuns to carry out the religious and educational work in the Diocese.

In 1881, following a visit to Rome, he brought four Redemptorists with him to establish a presence in the vast Diocese.

He visited Rome several times during his episcopate for ad limina visits, in 1871, 1881 and 1889. This included the Redemptorists, Marist Brothers, Dominican Nuns, Sisters of Mercy, and Sisters of St Joseph.

Murray's health began to worsen by the mid-1890s and in 1897 he chose Patrick Vincent Dwyer, his protégé, as coadjutor bishop. By May, he was deteriorating and was in a "very low" and "hopeless" state, gradually weakening. He died on 9 July 1909 at the age of 81 following a long illness.