BISHOP HOLOHAN SHARES HIS JOY AS SHEPHERD OF BUNBURY
By Jamie O'Brien
Pope Francis has officially accepted the resignation of Bishop Gerard Holohan after 22 years of leading the Diocese of Bunbury.
Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has been appointed Apostolic Administrator effective 12noon Friday 30 June.
Bishop Holohan became the fourth bishop of the diocese after being appointed by Pope John Paul II in 2001, the longest serving Bishop in Australia.
Bishop Holohan was born and baptised on the 5 September 1947 and educated by the Sisters of Mercy at Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School in Perth, and by the Christian Brothers, first at St Francis Xavier College, then at the Christian Brothers' College, St
George's Terrace and later at Trinity College.
He entered St Charles Seminary Guildford in 1965 for philosophical studies, and then moved to St Francis Xavier Seminary, Adelaide in 1968 to study theology.
Ordained to the priesthood on 4 September 1971 by Perth Archbishop Launcelot Goody. He was initially appointed to serve in the Cottesloe parish before serving in the parish of Subiaco until 1975.
In 1980, he became chaplain and religious education coordinator at Newman College and in 1981, he was appointed Director of Religious Education. He also served as Governor of the University of Notre Dame Australia.[2]
Bishop Holohan was appointed as Bishop of Bunbury by Pope John Paul II on 11 June 2001, replacing
Bishop Peter Quinn who retired in 2000. He was ordained a bishop and installed on 5 September 2001, becoming the fourth Bishop of Bunbury.
In a letter to the Diocese Sunday 2 July, Bishop Holohan said when he was informed that Pope St John Paul II had appointed him Bishop of Bunbury, it was a shock and a bolt out of the blue.
“However, I was soon inspired by the priests and people of the Diocese,” Bishop Holohan said.
“I could not believe the Diocese was so blessed as to have a community of Carmelite Sisters. These have been a spiritual powerhouse in the Diocese for more than forty years,” he said.
“I was deeply grateful too for the welcome and support that I received. I was inspired too by the pastoral professionalism of staff in the Diocesan office, and their humility.
Bishop Holohan explained to The Record that he had some familiarity with the Diocese, having been Director of Religious Education at Catholic Education for several years prior to his appointment as Bishop. Among the many ministries undertaken by people across the Diocese that moved him, Bishop Holohan, made special mention of those who care for the sick and the elderly; youth and those seeking greater depth of faith; those in prison and seafarers and those addicted to drugs and mothers in crisis because of pregnancy.
“These are some examples of what struck me when I arrived - there were many others.
Bishop Holohan also spoke about the experience of having the re-build the Cathedral and precint, following the devastating storm in 2005. PHOTO: JAMIE O'BRIEN.
CATHOLIC MISSION AND CARDINAL MARENGO
DISCUSS DEEPENING TIES AND POPE FRANCIS' LANDMARK VISIT TO MONGOLIA
Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar
Cardinal Giorgio Marengo has shared his enthusiasm and hope about the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to Mongolia.
Catholic Mission’s International Programs Coordinator Pisey Soeurn, who is based in Cambodia and travelled to meet with Cardinal Marengo in Mongolia, spoke about Catholic Missions long-term partnership in the country.
Cardinal Marengo, who first arrived in Mongolia as a missionary in 2003, is the youngest Cardinal in the Catholic Church, ordained in August 2022, at just 49 years of age. The meeting last month came at a key moment, a week after the announcement of a possible journey to Mongolia for Pope Francis later this year.
The visit of Pope Francis is to be the first papal visit to Mongolia.
Catholics within the country only number 1,300, making it one of the smallest Catholic populations in the world. This visit is a significant
and long-awaited moment.
“For the Catholic community in Mongolia, the Pope's visit is both a sign of closeness and a source of encouragement,” Cardinal Marengo shared.
“By coming here, 9,000 kilometres from Rome, the Holy Father is demonstrating the attention of the Successor of St Peter to local realities and to what he calls the "peripheries", i.e. distant countries, because he believes that their witness, the way they live, is a gift and a teaching for the whole universal Church,” he said.
This meeting between Catholic Mission’s representative and Cardinal Marengo was also a key moment to evoke the long-standing relationship and the importance of carrying the great work of mission in the country, that is not often spoken about on the international scene.
Visiting places where Catholics are a minority is also part of Francis’ policy of drawing attention to people and problems in what he has called
the peripheries of society and of the world.
“In fact, there is a kind of freshness and spiritual fervour here, typical of the early Churches and reminiscent of the Acts of the Apostles in the Gospel: small, simple communities, lively and open, where people pay attention to each other,” says Cardinal Marengo.
“It is also an encouragement for our young Church to continue along the path we have begun, a path of dialogue and friendship, in the footsteps of the missionaries who have gone before us, and who silently gave their lives for the Gospel and for this people,” he continued.
Working hand-in-hand with local partners for over a decade, this trip comes ten years after the visit of the late Bishop Wenceslao Padilla, CICM, Bishop and Prefect of the Apostolic Prefecture of Mongolia, at the occasion of World Mission Month in 2013.
Pope Francis greets then Bishop Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, during an audience with Buddhist leaders from Mongolia at the Vatican 28 May 2022. Bishop Marengo was named a cardinal by the pope the next day. PHOTO:CNS/VATICAN MEDIA.
NOTRE DAME STUDENTS SHINE AT INDIGENOUS NATIONALS
A team of 10 exceptional staff and students are representing the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) at this year’s Indigenous Nationals – a week-long multisport competition for Indigenous studentathletes.
Students from Fremantle and Sydney travelled to Victoria this week to showcase their talents in a mixed competition that includes touch football, basketball, netball and volleyball.
Led by co-captains Aaron Haji Ali and Destiny Peris, the UNDA team embraced the spirit of unity and cultural significance by imprinting their handprints onto a Kangaroo skin, symbolising their deep connection to the land and their shared aspirations.
The team's uniforms proudly displayed artwork by Kymberley Oakley, Manager of Indigenous Engagement and Success, which embodies the close-knit Notre Dame community and the strong bond among staff and students across the campuses, perfectly capturing the essence of "many mobs but one family."
At the opening ceremony on Monday, Destiny – a second-year nursing
student in Sydney - was awarded a prestigious BP Indigenous Uni Games scholarship valued at $5000. The scholarship recognises her outstanding accomplishments and will help support her in her chosen sport.
Indigenous student support and outreach officers at UNDA, Cindy Barrie and Freda Hammond, expressed their enthusiasm for being part of the first team to represent the University at the games.
"It's a great opportunity to be a part of the first team representing UNDA,” they said.
“Our students from both Fremantle and Sydney campuses have developed a friendship from east to west that will continue in the future. They have wholeheartedly embraced the ethos of UNDA.”
The event started in 1996 and was originally known as the National Indigenous Tertiary Education Student Games.
It brings together Indigenous student-athletes from universities across Australia, celebrating the rich sporting culture of Indigenous Australia while acknowledging the heritage and history of the participants.
A team of 10 exceptional staff and students are representing the University of Notre Dame Australia at this year’s Indigenous Nationals.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED / UNDA.
FRANCIS MOORE APPOINTED ST JOHN OF GOD HEALTH CARE TRUSTEE
The Members of St John of God Australia Limited have announced the appointment of Mr Francis Moore as a Trustee of St John of God Health Care. His appointment takes effect on 1 July.
Mr Moore is highly respected for his outstanding credentials in Catholic leadership and governance with nearly 20 years’ experience in broadranging roles.
A lawyer by profession, he was partner for a major Melbourne law firm for more than 20 years, prior to working within the Catholic Church. Mr Moore is currently Chair and Director of CDPF Limited, established
by the Australian Catholic Bishops to oversee Catholic Development Funds, as well as Director and Chair of Child Safety Audit & Risk Committees for Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited and Sandhurst Catholic Early Childhood Education and Care Limited.
He holds a range of other directorship positions within large Catholic organisations, with a particular focus on finance, audit and risk in health, aged care and education, and is a former Executive Director of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
In 2017, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Gregory by the Holy See.
St John of God Health Care Trustee Chair Hon Neville Owen AO KCSG said that Mr Moore’s background and experience positioned him well to make a valuable contribution to the governance of St John of God Health Care’s Ministry.
“Francis has extensive experience in the governance of Catholic organisations, deep understanding and knowledge of the Catholic Church in Australia and strong personal commitment to the values and ethos of St John of God Health Care,” he said.
“I welcome him warmly and look forward to working alongside him as a Trustee.”
A lawyer by profession, Mr Moore was partner for a major Melbourne law firm for more than 20 years, prior to working within the Catholic Church. PHOTO: SUPPLIED.