FR Kerry Crowley opens a faded copy of The Catholic Leader that reports his ordination 50 years ago.
“I’ve been blessed in the priesthood,” he said, reflecting on a journey that has taken him from his birthplace in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley to Innisfail in the state’s Far North, with many stops in between.
“It’s just great to clock up 50 years. But it’s not a triumphal thing. It’s been a journey and I have grown up.”
Fr Crowley, 79, now the Administrator of Cairns Diocese, treasures the August 19, 1973 paper edition that details his soon-to-be ordination at St Mary’s Church in his hometown, Gatton, where his family had settled from County Kerry, Ireland, almost a century before.
At that time, 29-year-old Kerry Crowley was one of five Queenslanders among 19 students at St Paul’s National Seminary for late vocations in Sydney completing their priestly training and preparing to be dispatched to parishes across Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Life as a priest was not a choice young Kerry had considered until he was “tapped on the shoulder”.
After completing school at Sacred Heart College Downlands, Toowoomba he embarked on a career in banking and insurance and spent two years in New Zealand.
In his early twenties he was interested in “girls, life and sport”, but one day his life changed forever, Fr Crowley said, recalling a meeting with Brisbane priest Fr Clem Hodge.
As a regular Mass goer at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane, young Kerry was asked by Fr Hodge if he would like to catch up “for a coffee or something like that”.
“We actually went for a ride to Queensland University. And in the course of getting out there, he put the question (of priestly vocation) to me,” he said.
“And my first reaction was ‘I’ve been conned’. I wasn’t up for this conversation.
“But I had great respect for him. I was into sport and all sorts of horsey things at that stage, but on reflection it really planted a seed.”
From that moment, Fr Crowley said the priesthood was on his mind.
“As I started to think about it there was always that awareness in life that whatever direction you went you want to give it your full shot,” he said.
“And I suppose I had always prayed to be able to follow the right vocation – whatever way you were being called.”
With support from the Cairns Diocese, where he had family connections, Kerry entered St Paul’s Seminary for late vocations at the minimum age of 25.
The seminary in the Sydney suburb of Kensington, run by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, no longer exists.
Nor does the idea that 25 is a late age to start training as a priest.
Immediately after his ordination four years later, Fr Crowley went to work in Far North Queensland, and remembers loving his pastoral work in North Cairns parish, in hospital chaplaincy and later working at the Bishop’s House as assistant and supply priest and school chaplaincy.
As a curate he remembers struggling with homily preparation and the affirmation that the Vicar General, Monsignor John Mullins, known as “Big John”, gave him to just keep going.
“I was raw,” Fr Crowley said.
Things started to change when he was asked to be a representative for Australian Catholic Relief (now Caritas).
“Quite frankly all I could think about was that it was a trip to Sydney. Little did I know that by becoming diocesan director for ACR it gave me a whole exposure to third world poverty and marginalized people… and introduced me to social justice,” he said.
Bishop John Bathersby asked Fr Crowley to take on the role of Aboriginal apostolate.
“It gave me a whole new sensitivity about where they (indigenous people) come from… their deep spirituality. And I’m still growing and learning all about that,” he said.
“It’s just been a steep learning curve for me to be involved with First Nations people, and even now with where we are at with the Voice to Parliament.”
“We’ve done a lot of listening (to indigenous people) in this diocese, learning from them, and of course Jesus Christ is centerstage.
“It’s amazing how Catholicism integrates with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spirituality.”
Fr Crowley recalled that the first meeting of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) was held in Cairns, and artist Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann presented her painting “On with the Dreaming in One Spirit”. It now hangs in the Bishop’s House.
In 1990, Fr Crowley was asked to study pastoral ministry and spiritual direction at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington State.
He recalls feeling isolated and homesick at first, until he was invited into the home of some Gonzaga staff on Thanksgiving Day for dinner.
“It was a turning point for me, that day” he said. “There was good conversation and food, drinks and then, learning about the journey with Native Americans.
“From then on during my studies I was able to relate what I was learning to First Nations people.”
On his return to Australia, Fr Crowley spent two years as spiritual director at the Holy Spirit seminary in Brisbane. He then returned to Cairns to become parish priest in Tully.
“That was an appointment that lasted about 18 years,” he said.
“Of course I wanted to go down the track of First nations people and social justice issues.
During this time Cairns Bishop James Foley appointed Fr Crowley as assistant director for clergy life and ministry. It’s a ministry that he has led for the last 30 years.
Fr Crowley is now parish priest in Innisfail, and in August last year was appointed Diocesan Administrator when Bishop Foley retired.
He said the Church in Cairns faced many challenges including a big decline in church attendance following the pandemic, while there was a shortage of clergy.
Cairns diocese has recruited three new priests from Kerala in India and they are currently awaiting clearance from Immigration authorities.
“We’re really hoping that happens this year, because we’re in dire straits. We are desperately short of clergy,” Fr Crowley said.
“The good news is that I’m noticing lay people stepping up… and taking responsibility.”
“Go make disciples. I just think that’s the kind of trajectory we are on. It is a way of empowering others and being of service.”
“I’m thankful I’ve got health and fire in the belly. And I like to still see this work as planting seeds.”
A vigil Mass celebrating Fr Crowley’s 50 years of priesthood will be held at St Mary’s Church, Gatton, on August 26, starting at 6pm.
