Frank Little (priest)

Infobox Archbishop
honorific-prefix =Sir
name = Thomas Francis Little
archbishop_of = Melbourne
honorific-suffix =


caption =
ordination = 3 October 1950
consecration = 21 February 1973
enthroned = 1 July 1974
ended = 16 July 1996
religion = Roman Catholic
province =
diocese = Melbourne
see =
predecessor = James Knox
successor = George Pell
birth_name =
birth_date = 30 November 1925
birth_place = Melbourne
death_date = 7 April 2008
death_place = Melbourne
buried =
nationality = Australian
residence =
parents =
spouse =
children =
ocupation =
profession =
alma_mater =

Sir Thomas Francis "Frank" Little, KBE (30 November 1925 — 7 April 2008 [ [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/mildmannered-archbishop-little-dead-at-82/2008/04/08/1207420390706.html Article in "The Age", 9 April 2008] ] ) was the sixth Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, appointed by Pope Paul VI on 1 July 1974. He retired in 1996 and was succeeded by George Pell. After retirement he was styled Archbishop Emeritus in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. [ [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/blittle.html Archbishop Thomas Francis Little [Catholic-Hierarchy ] ]

Early life

Little's father, Gerald Thompson Little, was a surveyor and engineer and his mother was the former Kathleen Annie McCormack. Both were from metropolitan Melbourne.

Education

Frank Little was educated at St Columba's School, Essendon, then at St. Monica's Christian Brothers College, Moonee Ponds. He completed his secondary education as a boarder at St Patrick's College, Ballarat.

Early priesthood

Little commenced training for the priesthood in 1943. In that year he entered Corpus Christi College, a seminary at Werribee. Little went to Rome to study at the Propaganda Fide College in 1947. He was ordained in the chapel of the College on 3 October 1950, by Cardinal Biondi. For the next three years he studied for a doctorate at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. He was awarded a doctorate in 1953.

In 1953 Father Little returned to Melbourne. He was appointed assistant priest to Carlton, then appointed assistant at St Patrick's Cathedral in 1955. From 1956 until 1959 he worked as secretary to the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Carboni, in Sydney.

Father Little again returned to Melbourne, as assistant priest to St Patrick's Cathedral, in 1959. He later became the dean of the cathedral in 1965 and then parish priest of St Ambrose's, Brunswick in 1971.

During those years he was involved in pastoral work with the large number of migrants finding a new home in Australia, especially within the Italian community. He was also
*a lecturer in the provincial seminary
*a member of the Diocesan Ecumenical Affairs Commission
*a member and Chair of Victorian Action for World Development
*a member of the organising committee for the Melbourne Eucharistic Congress and
*Episcopal Vicar for the apostolate of the laity.

Bishop

He was ordained as a bishop on 21 February 1973 by Cardinal James Knox during the International Eucharistic Congress then being held in Melbourne. In 1973 he was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne and Titular Bishop of Temuniana.

He lived in Moonee Ponds as both a parish priest and a regional bishop with pastoral responsibility for the north-western region of Melbourne. In 1974 he succeeded Cardinal Knox as Archbishop of Melbourne.

Honours

In the 1977 Silver Jubilee Honours he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). [LondonGazette|issue=47234|supp=yes|startpage=7104|date=10 June 1977|accessdate=2008-04-08]

On the 10 April 1992 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Theology by the Melbourne College of Divinity, particularly for his work for ecumenism and theological education in the archdiocese.

Activities

In 1983 he attended the Synod of Bishops in Rome. The synod's theme that year was "Reconciliation".

During his time as Archbishop of Melbourne his support of the education and renewal for the Catholic community expressed itself in such initiatives as:
*the publication of the Religious Education Guidelines
*the launch of the RENEW programme
*the establishment of deaneries and
*the "Tomorrow's Church" process He was committed to the continuing formation of lay people and priests. Archbishop Little was well known in Melbourne for his support for Essendon Football Club. In July 1996 his resignation from the office of archbishop, for reasons of health, was accepted by the Pope.

References

External links

*http://www.melbourne.catholic.org.au/bishops/aefranklittle.htm Catholic
*http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/05/03/1019441435037.html