Members

INTRODUCING MEMBERS OF THE

COUNCIL FOR CLERGY LIFE AND MINISTRY

Bishop Don Sproxton is an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Perth. He was formerly a member of this Commission as the Diocesan Director for the Ministry to Priests Program in Perth from 1993 to 1995. He was ordained Bishop in 2002 and continues to be a member of the Clergy Life and Ministry Committee in Perth . He believes clergy grow in trust and confidence whenever they gather together to share their reflections on ministry and pastoral experiences.

Fr Martin Ashe is the Director of Ministry to Priests in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. He studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College , Dublin and was ordained in 1978. He worked as assistant priest in a number of parishes. From 1990 – 1996 he was on the staff of Corpus Christi Seminary, Clayton. He was Parish Priest of Sunbury for a period of eight years until his present appointment in 2005. In this role he is committed to providing a variety of resources to help with the ongoing formation and pastoral care of priests.

Fr Peter Bianchini trained at St. Charles Seminary, Guildford WA , was ordained priest in 1974 and is now PP of Highgate. He has been director of both Pontifical Missions Society and the Archdiocesan Marriage Preparation Services. He has been a member of the NCP committee and was the Chairman for 12 months. He is director of the Permanent Diaconate program in Perth and co-director, with Joseph Parkinson, of the Perth ’s Clergy Life and Mission Committee. Peter believes in the ongoing formation of the clergy as “we can never be satisfied with the knowledge we have and need to reflect together on our experience of the lived priesthood”.

Mrs Carmel Crawford is the Assistant Director of the Archbishop’s Office for Evangelisation with responsibility for Policy and Mission . Prior to this appointment, Carmel worked on the Committee for Mission in the Melbourne Archdiocese and for 5 years was a pastoral associate in the partnered parishes of Sacred Heart, Newport and St Margaret Mary’s, Spotswood. She was executive officer and senior educator with the Marriage Education Programme Inc, a not-for-profit agency providing pre and post marriage education for couples. Carmel is married with five children and together with her husband Tim continues her work in marriage education on a voluntary basis. Her studies have included B. Education and B. Theology, she is currently undertaking post-graduate study at Catholic Theological College , Melbourne .

Mr Kevin Croker manages Clergy Support Services in the Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocese. He comes from a farming background near Wagga Wagga NSW and completed his secondary education at St Ignatius College, Sydney. In 1969 he joined the Commonwealth Bank and spent 20 enjoyable years with the Corporation serving at both branch and administrative levels. In 1991 he joined the Archdiocesan Chancery Office and since that time has worked in the general areas of finance, property and more recently, in the care and support of archdiocesan clergy, especially with those priests who are retired. He is married to Margaret and they have a son and daughter who are both married and two grandsons.

Mgr Ian Dempsey AO is a priest of Adelaide Archdiocese. Two years after his ordination in 1969 he became a Navy Chaplain for 20 years, eventually becoming Director General of Chaplaincy - Navy. From 1988 to 1992 he chaired the National Council of Priests. After studies in spirituality and formation at St Louis University , he was appointed Vicar General in Adelaide from 1995 to 2000. Ian is parish priest of Brighton and Hallett Cove parishes, and part-time Director for Clergy Life and Ministry. Ian has always seen the support of brother priests as a top priority.

Mr Mike Hogan is from Kingscliff in northern NSW, having moved there recently from Coffs Harbour where he was for more than 20 years Principal of St Augustine’s Primary School and deeply involved in a wide range of parish activities. He was for 28 years Principal in Catholic Schools both in the ACT and NSW. Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Letters and Master of Education degrees. In recent years he has established a Consultancy firm which specialises in Executive Coaching, Mentoring, Team Building , Mediation, Strategic Planning, Facilitation and Communication. Over the years Mike has been involved in numerous committees, panels and organisations particularly in relation to Catholic Education and Catholic Care for the Aged. Mike and his wife Diana have been married for forty years and have four married children and six grand children.

Fr. Dave O'Connor is Director for Clergy Life and Ministry in the Archdiocese of Brisbane. Dave feels privileged to be appointed to this ministry in a full-time capacity as he believes that while this time in the Church is a most exciting time, it is also a challenging time for all - but especially for bishops, priests and deacons. Searching for ways to promote the ongoing human, intellectual, spiritual and emotional development of priests is a high priority.

Mgr Vince Redden is a priest of the Archdiocese of Sydney, ordained in 1961, and currently Parish Priest of St Mark's Drummoyne and Vicar for Clergy in the Archdiocese. His years of priesthood have been exclusively in parishes, with the exception of five years at the Cathedral. He has also been a Chaplain with the Army Reserve for twenty five years. He brings to his work a strong sense of compassion for his brother priests, and an awareness of the challenges in ministry and personal priestly life facing all of us.

Sr Sue Richardson pbvm has just finished a five year term as leader of the Lismore Presentation Sisters. Prior to this she was Director of the Heart of Life Centre in Melbourne for nine years. The Centre attracts laity and religious from

Australia

and Overseas to its programmes in ministry fromation and spirituality. Sue has years of experience in spiritual direction and adult faith education.

Rev Paul Simmons is the Coordinator of the Permanent Diaconate in

Australia

and ex officio on the Council. He was ordained for the Diocese of Broken Bay in 2004 and appointed to the parish of Wyoming . Paul is a member of the Broken Bay Clergy Life and Ministry team and the Diocesan Task Force on Parish Boundaries and Pastoral Care. He is a member of the National Committee of Deacons and served on its executive for two years. Paul has been married to Susan for thirty-seven years. They have two children and six grandchildren. Prior to commencing his studies for the permanent diaconate he worked in the electricity industry for 35 years and is a past member of the Australian Human Resources Institute and the Australian Institute of Management.

Fr Frank Devoy is Director of the Office for Clergy Life and Ministry and Secretary of the Council. Frank is a priest of the Lismore Diocese, He was born in Lismore, attended school there, and was ordained there in 1967. On concluding his studies for the priesthood at Manly, he was appointed Assistant Priest in Mullumbimby. Then spanning a period of 15 years, he was Director of Catholic Education, and later Bishop’s Secretary and Chancellor. He became Parish Priest of Grafton in 1984 and Byron Bay in 1998. He under-took post-graduate studies in Washington DC , and gained a Doctorate from Columbia University , New York , in 1989. In his Diocese, he has been involved in all levels of its administration, education, formation, and pastoral care. He was the Diocesan Director of Clergy Life and Ministry for 10 years and a member of the National Commission. Prior to coming to his present position in January 2006, he had worked extensively with clergy across the country.