# Michael Derrick

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michael_Derrick
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michael_Derrick.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Derrick
> Source revision: 1353793633
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

For other people, see [Michael Derrick (disambiguation)](/source/Michael_Derrick_(disambiguation)).

**John Michael Derrick** (3 January 1915 – 5 August 1961) was a leading figure in [Roman Catholic](/source/Roman_Catholic) [journalism](/source/Journalism) in mid-20th-century England.

## Life

Derrick was the son of the cartoonist [Thomas Derrick](/source/Thomas_Derrick_(artist)), and older brother of the writer [Christopher Derrick](/source/Christopher_Derrick). John Derrick was raised in rural [Berkshire County](/source/Berkshire) in England and attended the [Douai School](/source/Douai_School) in [Woolhampton](/source/Woolhampton).

As a young man, Derrick entered the [University of Oxford](/source/University_of_Oxford), On a school holiday in [Hungary](/source/Hungary), Derrick became incapacitated by a severe [gastroenteritis](/source/Gastroenteritis) that took several years of recovery. During his convalescence, he wrote *The Portugal of Salazar* (1938), a sympathetic study of the [Corporatist](/source/Corporatist) regime of dictator [António de Oliveira Salazar](/source/Ant%C3%B3nio_de_Oliveira_Salazar) in Portugal.

In 1938, Derrick was hired as an assistant editor of *[The Tablet](/source/The_Tablet)*.[1] He worked for the magazine until his death, throughout the period of the weekly newspaper's greatest prestige.[2] He frequently wrote the editorial "Notebook" column.

In 1956, Derrick also became the editor of the *[Dublin Review](/source/Dublin_Review_(Catholic_periodical))*, Derrick also wrote pamphlets for the [Catholic Truth Society](/source/Catholic_Truth_Society) and for [Sword of the Spirit](/source/Progressio_(organization)), and translated a number of books on Catholic subjects. Derrick was Chairman of the [Challoner Club](/source/Challoner_Club), and from 1958 Secretary of the [Catholic Union of Great Britain](/source/Catholic_Union_of_Great_Britain). He stood as the [Liberal](/source/Liberal_Party_(UK)) candidate for [Reading North](/source/Reading_North_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) in the 1950 election, losing to the Labour candidate. In 1951, Derrick married Anneliese Burkhardt, and the couple moved to [Petersham](/source/Petersham,_London). They had two sons.

For a few months before his death, Derrick served as the London correspondent of *[L'Osservatore Romano](/source/L'Osservatore_Romano)*. On 29 July 1961, Derrick fell seriously ill. He died on 5 August 1961, a few hours after receiving the [viaticum](/source/Viaticum).

## Publications

### Books

- *The Portugal of Salazar*. London: Sands; Paladin Press, 1938.

### Pamphlets and essays

- *A guerra e a aliança luso-britânica*. Lisboa: Bertrand, 1940.
- *Eastern Catholics under Soviet Rule*. London: Sword of the Spirit and The Tablet, 1946.
- *Cardinal Mindszenty*. Sword Pamphlet. London: Richard Madley, [1948].
- 'The Treasonable Clerks of 1848', *[Dublin Review](/source/Dublin_Review_(Catholic_periodical))* 442 (1948), pp. 49–67.
- *Persecution in Poland*. London: Sword of the Spirit, [1953].
- *Tito and the Catholic Church*. With a foreword by [Cardinal Griffin](/source/Bernard_Griffin). London: Sword of the Spirit, [1953].
- *Spain and Colombia: the Position of Protestants*. London: Catholic Truth Society, [1955].
- *Pope John XXIII*. London: Catholic Truth Society, 1958.
- 'Epilogue' to Zsolt Aradi, *John XXIII, Pope of the Council*. London: Burns & Oates, [1961].

### Books edited or translated

- [Lu Zhengxiang](/source/Lu_Zhengxiang), *Ways of Confucius and of Christ*, tr. Michael Derrick. London: Burns & Oates, 1948.
- Nazareno Padellaro, *Portrait of Pius XII*, tr. Michael Derrick etc. London: J. M. Dent & Sons, 1956.
- [Wladimir d'Ormesson](/source/Wladimir_d'Ormesson), *The Papacy*, tr. Michael Derrick. Faith and Fact Books no. 80. London: Burns & Oates, 1959.
- René Metz, *What is Canon Law?*, tr. Michael Derrick. Faith and Fact Books no. 79. London: Burns & Oates, 1960.
- William Eric Brown, *The Catholic Church in South Africa: from its origins to the present day*, ed. Michael Derrick. London: Burns & Oates, 1960.

## References

1. Obituary in *The Tablet*, August 12, 1961, pp. 773-774.

1. "Woodruff, Douglas", [*Oxford Dictionary of National Biography*](http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31856).

## External links

- [Photograph](http://dderrick.typepad.com/derrick_clausen_burkhardt/2005/12/jmd_november_19.html) on Derrick/Clausen family history blog.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Michael Derrick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Derrick) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Derrick?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.