William Edward Murray

William Edward Murray AM (16 February 192021 April 2013) was an Australian bishop of the Roman Catholic Church.

Early life Murray was born in Leichhardt, the eldest son of Michael and Phyllis Murray. He was raised in Earlwood and attended Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Earlwood. He received his early education from the Sisters of Mercy at the Convent School, Earlwood, before receiving his secondary education at De La Salle College, Marrickville. In 1938, he was accepted as a student at St Columba's College, Springwood to begin studies for the priesthood.

Priesthood Murray was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Sydney on 21 July 1945 at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney by Archbishop Norman Thomas Gilroy. He became the first priest to be ordained for the Earlwood Parish and the first former student of De La Salle College, Marrickville to be ordained.

He received his first appointment as assistant priest at Bondi. He was then appointed to Rockdale in 1947. He later served at Elizabeth Bay, Meadowbank and Dulwich Hill.

In 1955, he travelled to Rome, gaining a doctorate in Social Science in 1958. He returned to Sydney and became a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Sydney and director of the Catholic Information Bureau. He then became rector of St Columba's College, Springwood.

Episcopate On 5 June 1975, Murray was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Wollongong following the resignation of Bishop Thomas Absolem McCabe due to ill=health. He was consecrated on 21 July 1975 at St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Wollongong.

He oversaw the Diocese of Wollongong during a period of great change within the Church. There was also great change within his own Diocese, with the vast expansion of the population of the Macarthur region necessitating the construction of new parishes, schools and community facilities.

He was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia on 26 January 1988 for services to religion.

Retirement and death Murray retired as Bishop of Wollongong on 12 April 1996, having tendered his resignation upon reaching the canonical retirement age of 75. Upon his retirement, he received criticism for his handling of sexual abuse within the Diocese of Wollongong by members of the clergy.

Murray died on 21 April 2013, aged 93, at a Sydney nursing home.