Developments in the Glorious See of Melbourne

Just a few bits of news I thought I would share with you all - for your prayers and thanksgivings:

The Archbishop has announced that there will be a change of Director at the Archbishop’s Office for Evangelisation. Father Greg Bennet has asked to return to full time parish ministry. We say "Well done, good and faithful servant", and pray God's blessing on his future ministry.

Brother Mark O’Connor will be the new Director of the Office as of 2009. Again, this is a case of "Well done, good and faithful servant", since as as director for Melbourne's Days in Diocese program, he successfully pulled off an event bigger than our Commonwealth Games a few years ago. Brother Mark is a man who knows something about evangelisation, was a part of the team in the old Catholic Adult Education Melbourne days, and is known around the traps as the "Cardinal Hunter" (due to his relentless efforts in getting well known cardinals to visit Melbourne for lecture tours). They say the guys in red run a mile when they see him coming in Rome!

And we congratulate Fr Mark Withoos, a young priest of the diocese who has been studying in Rome. Fr Mark has been requested by the Holy See to serve in the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. A good start in life, and a bloke eminently suited to the task.

Finally, your prayers for those who will be ordained priest on 6 Sept at 10am in the Cathedral. You could not say that Deacons Binh Le, Thang Vu, Dispin John and Anh Nguyen are a reflection of the Anglo-Irish past of this archdiocese, but they are certainly the face of the Church today! They are all terrific blokes who will be energetic workers in the Lord's vineyard.