The Diocesan Director of Vocations in the Diocese of Broken Bay has been appointed Vice-Rector and Director of Pastoral Formation at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd, Homebush.
Fr Paul Durkin, who is currently the Parish Priest at Holy Name, Wahroonga, will take up his new role in early 2023.
The Diocese of Broken Bay has seven young men in formation, six of whom are studying at the Good Shepherd Seminary.
Their studies over a period of 6-7 years include human, spiritual, academic and pastoral formation.
One seminarian from the Diocese of Broken Bay, Matthew French, who has just completed his second year, is following in the footsteps of his brother, Fr Sam French, who studied at the Homebush seminary and was ordained last year.
Fr Sam French is also the Assistant Priest at Holy Name, Wahroonga so Fr Paul Durkin will oversee the tradition “brothers in arms from foundation to formation”.
The Good Shepherd Seminary, in the Archdiocese of Sydney, this year celebrated its 25th silver jubilee. Since opening in 1997 the seminary has formed more than 100 priests with nearly 50 currently in formation.
Fr Paul Durkin was ordained to the priesthood on 17 December 2011. Prior to his ordination, Fr Paul held various positions of responsibility in four Catholic Secondary colleges, and at the Catholic Education Office, Sydney. He has a keen interest in liturgy, prayer, spirituality and faith formation, and has completed a two year course in Spiritual Direction.
“The appointment of Fr Paul to this significant role in priestly formation is a sure tribute to his priestly integrity, his pastoral competence, and the calibre of his vocational accompaniment for which he is well known, especially by those with whom he has journeyed in his capacity as my Diocesan Director of Vocations,” Most Rev Anthony Randazzo DD JCL, Bishop of Broken Bay said.
“I am confident Fr Paul will now place these unmistakable attributes to special benefit at the service of formation of our clergy of the future, not only for our own Diocese but for all those associated with the Seminary of the Good Shepherd.”
Fr Paul Durkin said he was “humbled” by the appointment to Vice-Rector of the Seminary.
“I will rely on the grace of God to be an effective leader and mentor to the young men in formation, contributing to their preparation for the priesthood,” Fr Paul said.
| “Our world needs good priests, men of prayer, leaders in our community. While I am sad to be leaving my parish, I look forward to helping our seminarians on their journey to the priesthood.” |
The Vicar for Clergy in the Archdiocese of Sydney and Administrator of the Parish of Maroubra Bay-Beach, Fr Kelvin Lovegrove will join the Diocese of Broken Bay and succeed Fr Paul Durkin as Parish Priest of Holy Name Wahroonga.