Fr. Leo Watt

Father Leo Watt was a Franciscan Catholic priest and folksinger. Born Ronald Watt in Newcastle, New South Wales in 1938. In 1956, he was accepted into the novitiate, gave up everything he owned and had to take a religious name and was given the religious name of Leo. He was a assistant priest in Sydney, Townsville and relief chaplain to the lepers on Fantome Island and aboriginals at Palm Island where he performed baptisms, weddings and had time to play music with them. Because the parish was small, he had time to begin composing music; singing at parish socials, giving talks and retreats. Leo's love of music and his knack of crafting easy to sing, folk-based tunes brought a new energy to church music in a time where the Catholic church was shaking off the old Latin mass post the Second Vatican Council. After finding his voice in North Queensland, Fr Leo worked as a priest in Kedron, Brisbane which gave him to opportunity to write and compose music, surrounded by young parishioners and with access to other talented musicians. He recorded a number of records. He left the priesthood in the early 1970s and was married by a Franciscan in a Franciscan parish, with a papal blessing from Pope Paul VI.