MEDIA RELEASE March 23, 2020 DELEGATES NAMED FOR CELEBRATION OF PLENARY COUNCIL Plenary Council president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has written to 266 other Catholics across the country, calling them as delegates for the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia. “At a time in our Church’s history we’ve not seen before, with the suspension of Masses in many parts of the country and around the world, the announcement of our Plenary Council delegates is a source of great joy for the People of God in Australia,” Archbishop Costelloe said. Canon law outlines those who must be called as delegates to a plenary council, including bishops, vicars general, episcopal vicars, heads of seminaries and theological institutions, and leaders of religious congregations. That amounted to 180 delegates. Canon law also allows for delegates who may be called as representatives – the total of which can’t exceed half of the total of those who must be called. The number of delegates from each local church – a diocese, eparchy, ordinariate or prelature – ranged from one to four depending on the local Catholic population. In all, 78 people have so far been confirmed, with additional representation to be named from national organisations representing education, social services, health and aged care, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic. “Bishops across the country worked locally with leaders in their diocese to design a process to consider names of people who were nominated or applied to be delegates for the Plenary Council assemblies,” Archbishop Costelloe said. “We were grateful for and impressed with the faith and the calibre of the people who were nominated. We could quite easily have filled several quotas with the names that were put forward.” Archbishop Costelloe said bishops were mindful of the large number of clerics who must be called by virtue of their role. There were also many males who will represent religious orders. “It was therefore important to prioritise lay people – and especially lay women – in the list of those local delegates who were chosen,” he said. “It was also obvious that while not universal, the age of those who must be called was quite high. We are pleased that we were able to lower the average age, lift the proportion of lay people and the proportion of women in the overall delegate list. “Plenary councils have often been the domain of bishops and priests and while canon law still ensures they are the major presence in the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia, the lay and female representation far surpasses anything seen before.” Among the list of delegates who may be called already selected, 64 per cent were women and the average age of those delegates was 48 – with the youngest just 19 years old. -------- MORE -------- Media Enquiries Gavin Abraham | Australian Catholic Bishop Conference | 0408 825 788 | [email protected] “The Church is a melting pot of ages and cultures and is enriched by the wisdom and insights of the ordained, of consecrated women and men, and of lay women and men,” said Lana Turvey-Collins, the Plenary Council facilitator. “The Plenary Council’s two assemblies promises to be a true celebration of the Catholic Church in Australia, both in its diversity and its unity.” Ms Turvey-Collins said like everyone else in Australia and in much of the world, the Plenary Council steering committee is considering how the COVID-19 pandemic might affect the first Council assembly, scheduled for Adelaide this October. “We are watching advice from the Commonwealth and South Australian Governments and the relevant health officials closely,” she said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and make decisions about the first assembly when advice relevant to October 2020 is clearer.” Ms Turvey-Collins said the preparation of delegates, including their formation as people ready to listen to the Holy Spirit, will be the next focus, and will be delivered with the assistance of digital technology. Archbishop Costelloe concluded: “We ask Catholics across the country, and in the local churches, to pray for the ongoing discernment of the Plenary Council and particularly for the delegates who will play a critical role in helping decide the way forward for the Church in Australia.” You can access the list of Plenary Council delegates at www.plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au Adelaide Most Reverend Patrick Michael O’Regan DD Very Reverend Philip Francis Xavier Marshall Miss Madeline Rose Keogh Forde Ms Monica Annette Conway Mr Ian Louis Cameron Mr Julian Nguyen Armidale Most Reverend Michael Robert Kennedy DD Very Reverend Monsingnor Edward Thomas Wilkes VG Mr Karl Gerard Schmude Mrs Alison Jean Hamilton Bathurst Most Reverend Bishop Michael McKenna DD Reverend Fr Paul Gerard Devitt VG Miss Hayley Joan Farrugia Mr Matthew Leonard Brown Reverend Fr Gregory John Kennedy EV Broken Bay Most Reverend Bishop Anthony Randazzo DD JCL Very Reverend Fr David Gerard Ranson VG Mrs Alison Mary Newell Mr Dharmaraj (Raj) Rajasigam Ballarat Most Reverend Paul Bernard Bird DD CDsR Very Reverend Philip Francis Xavier Marshall Mr Karl Gerard Schmude Mrs Alison Jean Hamilton Brisbane Most Reverend Archbishop Mark Benedict Coleridge DD BA DS Reverend Monsignor Peter Joseph Meneely VG Ms Toni Marie Janke Mr Thomas Warren Dr Maeve Louise Heaney VDMF Ms Patricia Bernadette Kennedy Most Reverend Bishop Kenneth Michael Howell DD PP Very Reverend Dr Fr Adrian Gerard Farrelly EV PP Reverend Fr Adrian Bryan Sharp EV Very Reverend Fr Daniel Joseph Ryan VF PP Broome Monsignor Paul William Boyers VG Mr Aidan Joseph Mitchell Ms Erica Bernard Cairns Very Reverend Fr Francis Lindsay Gordon VG PP Mrs Anna Montgomery Mrs Tanya Helen Gleeson Rodney Very Reverend Fr Kerry James Crowley EV VF PP** Very Reverend Fr Neil David Muir EV PP** Canberra-Goulburn Most Reverend Archbishop Christopher Charles Prowse STD DD Very Reverend Fr Anthony Gerard Percy VG Reverend Monsignor John Gerard Woods EV Miss Brigid Annette Cooney Emeritus Professor John Lewis Warhurst Darwin Most Reverend Charles Victor Gauci Very Reverend Malcolm Paul Fyfe MSC VG Mrs Clalia Jackie Mar Mr Shaun Luke De Zylva Very Reverend Prakash Brayan Menezes SVD EV Geraldton Most Reverend Bishop Michael Henry Morrissey DD Very Reverend Fr Brian John Ahearn VG Mrs Catherine Anne Jones Mrs DeearneFrances Gould Hobart Most Reverend Julian Charles Porteous DD Very Reverend Michael Carter Tate AO VG Dr Rachel Mary Bradley Mr Daniel Leigh De La Motte Lismore Most Reverend Gregory Paul Homeming OCD DD Very Reverend Paul Stanley Gooley PP VG Miss Ellen Elyse Hales Dr Deidre Therese Little Very Reverend Peter McDonell Slack EV Maitland-Newcastle Most Reverend William Joseph Wright DD Very Reverend Andrew Peter Doohan VG Dr Helen Maria Belcher Ms Bernadette Frances Gibson Melbourne Most Reverend Peter Andrew Comensoli DD Very Reverend Joseph John Caddy AM STL Ms Nimmi Candappa Mrs Vivian Alamo Mr Jonathan Anthony Sr Michelle Sue Yen Goh RSM Most Reverend Mark Stuart Edwards OMI DD Most Reverend Terence Robert Curtin DD STD Reverend Monsignor Anthony John Ireland STD EV Very Reverend Anthony Leo Kerin JCL Very Reverend Brendan Hayes Very Reverend Ciril Bozic OFM OAM Very Reverend Denis Stanley Very Reverend Dr Kevin Anthony Lenehan STD Reverend Dr Cameron Alexander Forbes STD Parramatta Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv Very Reverend Chris de Souza EV Very Reverend Peter Gregory Williams VG Mrs Wendy Alison Goonan Ms Carol Louise Teodori-Blahut Very Reverend Paul Roberts EV Very Reverend Peter Blayney EV Very Reverend Wim Hoekstra EV Reverend John Hogan Perth Most Reverend Timothy John Costelloe SDB DD Very Reverend Peter Gerrard Whitely VG Mr Damian Anthony Walsh Dr Angela Mary McCarthy Dr Marco Ceccarelli Miss Emily Jane Hardbottle Most Reverend Donald George Sproxton DD Reverend Brian John Mckenna EV Reverend Vincent Glynn EV Reverend Michael Thomas moore SM Reverend Phillip Fleay Reverend Francis Campbell Port Pirie Most Reverend Gregory John O’Kelly SJ DD Very Reverend James Gerard Monaghan Mrs Nichola Frances Mardon Mr David John Green Rockhampton Most Reverend Michael Fabian McCarthy DD Very Reverend Bryan Colin Hanifin VG Miss Loretta Maree McKeering Mrs Catherine Maree Cimmonds Sale Very Reverend Peter William Slater VG Mrs Lizabeth Rose Privitera Mrs Katherine Mary Jelavic Sandhurst Most Reverend Shane Anthony Mackinlay DD Very Reverend Joseph Edward Taylor VG Miss Ruth Maree Lawlor Ms Catherine Ellen Jenkins Very Reverend Dr Brian Patrick Boyle Sydney Most Reverend Anthony Colin Fisher OP DD Very Reverend Gerald Patrick Gleeson VG Mrs Francine Pirola Professor Hayden Ramsay Ms Selina Hasham Mr Christopher Lee Most Reverend Richard James Umbers DD VG EV Most Reverend Terence John Brady DD VG EV Very Reverend Isidore Vijaya Kumar Anantharaj EV Very Reverend Kelvin John Lovegrove EV Very Reverend Michael Lawrence McLean EV Very Reverend Paul Monkerud EV Reverend Daniel Joseph Meagher Reverend Eric George Skruzny Professor Dermot Anthony Nestor Sr Professor Isabell Naumann ISSM Professor Michele Riondino Professor Renee Kohler-Ryan Dr Rohan Curnow Professor Greg Craven AO GCSG Toowoomba Most Reverend Robert Michael McGuckin DD MCL JCL Very Reverend John Bernard Quinlan VG VF Dr Mark Stephen Copland Mrs Patrice Catherine Riordan Very Reverend Franco Filipetto LCL PP VF EV Townsville Most Reverend Timothy James Harris DD Reverend Michael John Lowcock VG Mrs Louise Josephine Villa-Cox Ms Stephanie Sullivan Wagga Wagga Mrs Wendy Judith Cattell Mr Edmund John Brown Monsignor Douglas Hugh George Fr Kevin Joseph O’Reilly Fr Peter David Thompson CM Wilcannia-Forbes Most Reverend Columba Macbeth-Green OSPPE DD Mrs Cassandra Jan Auld Mr Hugo Grigore Chis Very Reverend Barry James Dwyer EV Wollongong Most Reverend Brian Gregory Mascord Very Reverend Bernard Lagan Gordon Dr Jodie Steel Mr John Paul Fleming Very Reverend Kenneth Gregory Cafe Very Reverend Sean Joseph Cullen .