He is fondly remembered both for his skills as a barber, and for his tremendous artwork. At Daramalan he had painted large religious pictures to adorn the walls of the school, a pursuit he continued at Downlands. Fr Dempsey also designed lead-lights and painted numerous portraits and other items. His earlier work in PNG brought forward a task to fill his time in retirement. A catechist, Peter To Rot, had been killed by the Japanese during the war in PNG for spreading the faith. The argument was put to the church that Peter To Rot be rated as a martyr, and be made a saint. Fr Dempsey went to Rome to undertake the research necessary for this decision to be reached, and proved instrumental in achieving the beatification of Peter To Rot by the Pope. He was proud to be in Port Moresby to witness this event.

Towards the end of his life Fr Dempsey gained great enjoyment from his artwork and his garden, winning a prize each year in the Carnival of Flowers. While he never sought the limelight during his lifetime, his achievements and faith impacted upon the lives of many. The images of Our Lady on this page were painted by Fr Dempsey.

When Fr Dempsey died on 1 November, 2001, it was the end of an extremely busy and fruitful 85 years, in which he had touched the lives of many people in his role as priest, teacher and missionary. Fr Dempsey never forgot anything, and had an amazing capacity for facts and detail.

John’s father received a war wound during these years, and was required to move to a warmer climate. The family moved to Queensland in 1931, and eventually settled in Brisbane, becoming closely involved in church affairs . Fr Dempsey began his schooling at Gregory Terrace, remaining there for nine years. He loved study and sport, and developed a determination to always try his hardest and come out on top — a philosophy which shaped his whole life. After completing school, John decided he wanted to become a Missionary of the Sacred Heart. He was ordained in Melbourne, and started teaching in preparation for work in New Guinea following the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific.

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart had been working is Papua and New Guinea from 1884, and nothing had been heard from those missionaries during World War II. Fr Dempsey’s

job was to find out what had happened, assist any surviving missionaries, and begin missionary work again. In Rabaul Fr Dempsey received his first major job as a priest — education of the local people.

This project involved the completion of studies for the priesthood for some individuals, training teachers to run primary schools and act as catechists, and establishing secondary schools for young local boys.

Fr Dempsey’s school in Vuvu was the first of its kind for local boys in PNG, and it was run as a community within itself. Teachers were people of tribal authority, and the children were trained to be the leaders of the future, learning about government and civil leadership. He eventually took on the additional role of the Inspector of Schools, a huge task, as Rabaul Catholic schools had more students enrolled than any diocese in Australia except Sydney and Melbourne. In 1950 Fr Dempsey moved to the Papuan part of the country, in Sideia, to again set up a secondary school, a teacher training establishment, and the beginning of a seminary.

Following a holiday in Australia in 1960, Fr Dempsey was appointed to a teaching role at Chevalier for two years, before establishing his third school at Daramalan in Canberra. Fr Dempsey displayed an exceptional ability to work with people in the parishes and the government, and to obtain assistance beyond all expectation. When he was aged almost 60, Fr Dempsey was transferred to Downlands College in Toowoomba where he taught until 1996.