VALE ARCHBISHOP FRANK LITTLE DD KBE

(From press release from Catholic Communications)

The former Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Thomas Francis Little died peacefully in his sleep last night at his home in Camberwell at the age of 82 years.

He was appointed the sixth Archbishop of Melbourne by Pope Paul VI, succeeding Cardinal Knox on the 1 July 1974. He resigned from the position in 1996 for health
reasons.

Melbourne’s Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart said today that the death of Archbishop Little will be felt deeply by many people in Melbourne.

“Archbishop Little will be fondly remembered as a dedicated caring leader of the Church for 22 years,” Archbishop Hart said today. “His sincere pastoral style and concern for his people was admired by all who met him.”

Archbishop Little was born in Werribee on 30 November 1925. He entered Corpus Christi College, then at Werribee, in 1943 to begin studies for the priesthood. In 1947, he continued his studies at Propaganda Fide College, Rome, and was ordained to the priesthood in the chapel of the College on 3 October 1950, by Cardinal Fumasoni Biondi.

For the next three years he pursued his doctoral studies through the Urban University in Rome and was awarded his doctorate in 1953. On his return to Melbourne in 1953 he was appointed as assistant priest to Carlton, then assistant at St Patrick's Cathedral in 1955. From 1956 to 1959, he worked as Secretary to the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Romolo Carboni, in Sydney. He returned to Melbourne as assistant priest to St Patrick's Cathedral in 1959, Dean of the Cathedral in 1965 and parish priest of St Ambrose's, Brunswick in 1971.

In Melbourne at this time he was actively involved in a wide range of activities. He was a lecturer in the Provincial seminary, a member of the Diocesan Ecumenical Affairs Commission, a member and Chair of Victorian Action for World Development, Episcopal Vicar for the Apostolate of the Laity and chaplain to teams of Our Lady.

He was ordained as a Bishop on 21 February 1973 by Cardinal James Knox during the International Eucharistic Congress held in Melbourne that year. Residing in Moonee Ponds as Parish Priest, and as a regional Bishop, he was given pastoral responsibility for the north western region of Melbourne.

In 1977 he was created a Knight Commander of the British Empire.

On the 10 April 1992 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Theology by the Melbourne College of Divinity.