| Sir Thomas Francis Little | |
|---|---|
| Melbourne | |
| Diocese | Melbourne |
| Enthroned | 1 July 1974 |
| Reign ended | 16 July 1996 |
| Predecessor | James Knox |
| Successor | George Pell |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 3 October 1950 |
| Consecration | 21 February 1973 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 November 1925 Melbourne |
| Died | 7 April 2008 Melbourne |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Sir Thomas Francis "Frank" Little, KBE (30 November 1925 — 7 April 2008[1]) 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.[2]
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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.
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.
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 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.
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
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.
In the 1977 Silver Jubilee honours he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).[3]
On 10 April 1992 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in theology by the Melbourne College of Divinity, particularly for his work for ecumenism and theological education in the archdiocese.
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:
Little was committed to the continuing formation of lay people and priests. He was known in Melbourne for his support for the Essendon Football Club. In July 1996 his resignation from the office of archbishop, for reasons of health, was accepted by the Pope.
He died in April 2008 and was buried in the crypt of St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Knox |
Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne 1974-1996 |
Succeeded by George Pell |
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