| Admin_History | Aston Chichester SJ was born on the 22nd May 1879 in Ostend. His father was an officer of the Regular Army. He attended Mount St Mary's from the age of 10. On September 1897, after he had left school, he joined the Society. After completing his noviciate at Roehampton under Fr Considine, where he did a two years' juniorate, he began his studies in philosophy at St Mary's Hall in 1901, finishing in 1904. From 1904 to 1910, he taught at Wimbledon and went to St Beuno's for theology. On 21 September 1913, he was ordained and in the following year he went to Tullabeg for his tertianship. In 1915, he was sent to Wimbledon to be Prefect of Discipline of the reconstituted Army Department. On 15 August 1917, he was installed as the Rector of Wimbledon, staying in this position until 21 June 1921, when he was appointed Rector of Beaumont. From 1920-29 he was a Consultor of the Province.
In 1929, he was chosen to be the successor of Mgr Brown as Prefect Apostolic of Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia. In February of 1931, he was appointed the first Vicar Apostolic of Salisbury after Propaganda raised Salisbury to a Vicariate Apostolic. On 19 July he was consecrated Bishop in Salisbury Cathedral by the Apostolic Delegate in South Africa. In 1955 he became the first Archbishop of Salisbury and he was also the Titular Bishop of Ubaza. He was in attendance of the Second Vatican Council's first session as a Council Father. On the 24th October, 1962, he died after collapsing on the steps of St Peter's Basilica whilst attending the Council. |