GROWING up in a bustling city of more than a million people in the Philippines, a young Elmer Ibarra could never have imagined he’d one day be standing side-by-side with a bishop in the dust in the dead centre of Australia celebrating Mass. That’s part of the great unknown Fr Elmer signed up for when he was ordained a priest ... Read More »
THE world’s oldest known Carmelite, who served nearly all the Carmelite parishes in Australian and New Zealand, was remembered in a live-streamed funeral today. Australian Carmelite Father Pat Harney died peacefully on July 17 – the day after the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of the Carmelite order. According to the Carmelites of Australia and Timor-Leste, ... Read More »
PREPARING for ordination, Deacon Emene Kelemete has received “countless” well wishes on his journey. In a video posted on Facebook, Deacon Kelemete stood with his parents, Josef and Peteli, his siblings and partners, and nephews and nieces to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Deacon Kelemete is set to be ordained at Edmund Rice Hall at Ignatius Park College ... Read More »
I HAVE recently had a number of conversations with various people on the subject of the cultural composition of the presbyterate in Australia. In light of the increasing number of priests from overseas that are ministering in this country, the whole notion of what it means to serve a particular community seems to have been highlighted in many minds. ... Read More »
PARISHIONERS, family, friends, fellow priests and colleagues joined a chorus of celebration for Brisbane archdiocese’s ordered and diocesan priests for the Presbyteral Jubilee Mass at St Stephen’s Cathedral on July 17. A total of 21 jubilarians celebrated at the Mass. Diamond jubilarians were Fr Pat Dowd, Fr Vince Hobbs, Fr Denis Long and Carmelite Father Jerome Watt. Golden jubilarians were ... Read More »
DEACONS Josh Whitehead and Brendan Gormley are to be ordained priests on Friday, May 31 – but between now and then, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Deacon Whitehead said he was unsure about his expectations for the ordination itself, but he said he was excited to be ordained alongside his “brother” Deacon Brendan Gormley. “I’ve been to ... Read More »
CLERGY advocacy groups representing more than 2000 priests across Australia have rejected outright breaking the seal of confession, even if it becomes law in some states and territories. The National Council of Priests of Australia, with 1700 members, rejects new laws announced in South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and Western Australia –which would require priests to break the seal of ... Read More »
PRIESTS have been known to invite their mothers, fathers, sisters or brothers to their priestly jubilee Mass, but alongside Fr Brian Harris were his children and grandchildren. The Oblate priest, who has six children, 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, joined the priesthood in 1987 when he was 55. “I was married and had a family, but my wife died,” Fr ... Read More »
TRUE friends share everything – even the emotional day they become priests. Fr Thomas Zaranski, 32, and Fr Damien Everitt, 43, first met in 2015 as trainee priests for Holy Spirit Seminary Queensland. They took their friendship to the next level when Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge ordained both men priests on June 29, the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul, ... Read More »
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