Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home Youth

Australia’s Oratory receives burst of youth

byEmilie Ng
3 November 2015 - Updated on 1 April 2021
Reading Time: 2 mins read
AA
Seminarians for the Australian Oratory

Future priests: Br Peter Buckley, Br Shawn Murphy, Br Francis King and Br Conor Power in Toronto, where Australia’s Oratory seminarians are receiving priestly formation.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Seminarians for the Australian Oratory
Future priests: Br Peter Buckley, Br Shawn Murphy, Br Francis King and Br Conor Power in Toronto, where Australia’s Oratory seminarians are receiving priestly formation.

YOUNG Catholic seminarians have almost outnumbered the priests making their home in Australia’s first Oratory.

The Brisbane Oratory in Formation welcomed Brisbane men Matthew Buckley, now known as Br Peter, and Conor Power to the community in September.

Br Peter is a qualified civil engineer, and was a former member of the University of Queensland’s Newman Society and helped start the Queensland Chesterton Society.

Br Conor grew up in Spring Hill and discerned a vocation with the Dominican friars before entering the Oratory seminary.

Br Peter and Br Conor officially received their long black cassocks in September and joined the Brisbane Oratory’s two novices Br Francis King and Br Shawn Murphy in Toronto, Canada.

Seminarians make up half the numbers of men associated with Australia’s first Oratory, based in Brisbane.

Br Shawn said the seminarians were waiting for the blistering winter, forecasted through red and brown leaves on Canada’s autumnal leaves.

Seminarians intending on joining Australia’s Oratory are required to receive formation in an established Oratory.

Brisbane’s four novices will receive formation with their Toronto counterparts for at least three years.

Br Shawn, who is in his third year, said the liturgy welcoming the two new novices was a reminder of his call to join the Oratory.

Related Stories

Cathedral green packed with families for festival day

Mass with signs of indigenous respect launch historic Plenary Council assembly

Marymount College claims historic girls’ rugby league Confraternity title

“It was a joyful reminder of my own clothing in September a couple of years ago,” he said.

Br Francis said the new seminarians would spend their first year studying the Oratory and its spirituality, the life of its founder St Philip Neri and Blessed John Henry Newman.

“Since the Brisbane Oratory is to be the first in Australia it is important we are well formed in Oratorian life,” Br Francis said.

“This helps us to understand how to live out the spirit of the Oratory and St Philip.”

Prayer is an essential part of an Oratorian’s life.

“We have mental prayer twice a day for 30 minutes each time, as well as spiritual direction and confession twice a week,” Br Francis said.

“Living with the Oratorian Fathers here in Toronto also helps us to see how they carry out their mission of helping the laity to become saints.”

Last month the Toronto Oratory organised a traditional devotion where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for 40 consecutive hours.

The devotion, a favourite of St Philip Neri, begins with Mass and ends with a Rosary and holy hour.

Br Shawn said Oratory members were “sons” of St Philip Neri, formed in his spirit rather than a rule, the method adopted by many religious congregations.

Brisbane Oratory seminarians rely on the support of regular donors to receive formation in Toronto and are not funded by a diocese.

The seminarians have requested prayers to continue their progress towards the priesthood.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Bart Cummings ran the good race

Next Post

Manus teacher recalls asylum seekers’ despair

Emilie Ng

Emilie Ng is a Brisbane-based journalist for The Catholic Leader.

Related Posts

Cathedral green packed with families for festival day
QLD

Cathedral green packed with families for festival day

4 July 2022
Mass with signs of indigenous respect launch historic Plenary Council assembly
News

Mass with signs of indigenous respect launch historic Plenary Council assembly

3 July 2022 - Updated on 4 July 2022
Marymount College claims historic girls’ rugby league Confraternity title
QLD

Marymount College claims historic girls’ rugby league Confraternity title

2 July 2022
Next Post
Former Manus Island teacher Jacob Rice

Manus teacher recalls asylum seekers' despair

Anthony Young

Anthony Young's a natural winner

Tracey Rowland

How a Rockhampton girl took theology to Rome

Popular News

  • Plenary Council assembly reaches decision day about the Church role of women

    Vote over role of women disrupts Plenary Council assembly

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Plenary Council assembly reaches decision day about the Church role of women

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Plans for indigenous elements, memorials to trauma, to complement Catholic liturgy

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Mass with signs of indigenous respect launch historic Plenary Council assembly

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Called to share the message of Jesus at mission school

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Caritas Australia Richard Landels

‘We must act now’ – Caritas Australia chief says Ethiopian food crisis is acute

by Hannah Kennelly
6 July 2022
0

RITAS Australia chief executive officer Kirsty Robertson has called for an immediate response for ugent famine prevention...

Plenary Council assembly reaches decision day about the Church role of women

Vote over role of women disrupts Plenary Council assembly

6 July 2022
Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk.

Pope Francis condemns Independence Day parade attack and calls for end of violence

6 July 2022
Plenary Council assembly reaches decision day about the Church role of women

Plenary Council assembly reaches decision day about the Church role of women

6 July 2022
‘For the moment, no,’ – Pope Francis dismisses resignation rumours in wide-ranging interview

‘For the moment, no,’ – Pope Francis dismisses resignation rumours in wide-ranging interview

5 July 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping