6. Very Reverend Gerald Daily SJ

Very Reverend Gerald Daily SJ

David Strong SJ “The Australian Dictionary of Jesuit Biography 1848-2015”, 2nd Edition, Halstead Press, Ultimo NSW, Australia, 2017, pp.72-3

Teacher and psychologist; born St Arnaud, Vic., 2 June 1927; died Melbourne, 3 April 1977, aged 49.

Gerald Daily, the youngest of three, was educated at Xavier College from 1939, and before entering the Society of Jesus, 1 February 1949, had completed three years of a medical degree at the Melbourne University, ath the same time being a scholarship student at Newman College from 1946.  He was a member of the Newman Society.

After noviciate and philosophy at Loyola College, Watsonia, he completed a BA (honours) in Psychology while teaching at Kostka Hall, Brighton, 1954-q55. He taught for another two years at St Ignatius College, Norwood, before theology studies at Innsbruck, Austria, where he was ordained on 26 July 1960.

After tertianship in Maine, USA, he continued studies in psychology, first at Fordham University, and then at Harvard, where he completed a Med degree in counselling psychology.  He spent 1965 working at the Menninger Foundation, Kansas.

He returned to Newman College, Melbourne, in 1966, working as college chaplain, and as a consultant at St Vincent’s Hospital as well as lecturing in counselling in seminaries and acting as adviser to superiors of religious orders.  He became rector in 1968 when Michael Scott left the Society.  He died from heart disease in office on Palm Sunday, in 1977, the evening of the day of the Newman College Old Boys’ annual reunion.  He had celebrated the Mass and attended their barbecue, spending most of the day in friendly dialogue with old friends.  It had been a happy day for him.  He loved the College and all associated with it.

During his nine years as rector of Newman College, he led a very busy life enjoying the honour of the position.  He continued his previous work in counselling, consulting and lecturing.  He was particularly in demand by religious, including those of the Society.  He was also a much valued and appreciated province consultor.  This load of work, as well as college administration, took its toll on his health, and he developed heart trouble from 1972.  The College expanded under his care, with married quarters for tutors being built.  Co-education also began in his last year, 1977.

He was impish, ebullient, volatile, sometimes explosive but never choleric.  He could be vain at times, garrulous, devious, could have a flaming row, and expect one to forget it easily as he did.  He could be hurt and when he returned to Australia in 1966, believed his talents were not properly estimated. 

There was something totally boyish about Daily, he never lost the vision of childhood.  If he was not a deep thinker, it was partly temperament, as his trust in God was so totally childlike.  He was, however, an acute analyst. 

He was a man who understood and loved the Jesuit vocation – he was a man of faith.  He had a great knowledge of the Society, and a wide range of contacts in Australia and overseas.  He was a wise and faithful consultor of the province.  He had a flair for intrigue, which was sometimes annoying, sometimes amusing and usually disconcerting.  He had a great sense of drama which he didn’t always control.  Daily was very human, and for that, as well as for his great gifts, was greatly mourned when he died.