Very Rev Dr David Ranson is the Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of Broken Bay. He also serves as Moderator of the Curia and Parish Priest of Chatswood Parish. Prior to his appointment as Diocesan Administrator, he was the Vicar General of the Diocese.
Fr David was born in Launceston, Tasmania on 3 April 1959 to Geoffrey and Shirley Ranson. His father was a shopkeeper, running a corner store in Launceston, while also serving as a steward for the Tasmanian Harness Racing circuit.
David Ranson received his primary education at Sacred Heart College, Launceston before moving to St Patrick’s Preparatory College, Launceston, and later to St Patrick’s College, Prospect Hill where he completed his HSC in 1975.
In 1976, he received an American Field Service Student Exchange Scholarship and studied at Clayton Valley High School, Mt Diablo Unified School District, California, where he graduated in 1977.
Returning to Tasmania, in 1978, David Ranson entered Corpus Christi College in Clayton as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Hobart.
He left the seminary in 1979 and on 12 March 1980, entered Tarrawarra Abbey, Yarra Glen as a postulant for the Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance. He entered the novitiate on 28 September 1980 and made his first profession on 28 September 1982.
He served as infirmarian of the Abbey until making his solemn profession on 21 November 1986. He was appointed dairy farm manager, a role he would serve in for 12 years.
Following resumption of studies for the priesthood, on 7 April 1992 he was ordained to the Diaconate and on 21 November 1992, was ordained to the priesthood.
In 1997, Fr David was appointed Dean of Studies and Scholasticate Master for the Abbey. Discerning the call for a more active ministry, he was appointed Chaplain at St Vincent's Public Hospital, St Vincent's-Mercy Private Hospital and Caritas Christi Hospice in November 1997.
Fr David began lecturing at the Catholic Institute of Sydney in 2001 and became the inaugural chairman of the Broken Bay Institute Council in 2003. He also began lecturing at the Sydney College of Divinity in 2005. He was incardinated as a priest for the Diocese of Broken Bay on 15 March 2006.
He was Priest-in-Residence at Epping-Carlingford Parish from March 2008. In 2010, he took charge of the Parish of Wahroonga as Administrator, then became Parish Priest in 2015. He was also Priest Moderator of The Lakes Parish from 2011 to 2013.
In June 2015, Fr David was appointed Vicar General of the Diocese of Broken Bay, also serving on the College of Consultors, Council of Priests and Council of Deans.
He was elected Diocesan Administrator by the College of Consultors in August 2018 following the appointment of the Most Rev Peter A Comensoli by the Holy Father to the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
During this interim 16 months, many functions and ministries continued as normal. Notably, under Fr David's guidance and following Bishop Peter's former vision, the Korean Catholic Chaplaincy and the Filipino Catholic Chaplaincy were both successfully established in Broken Bay, enriching the cultural and spiritual fabric of the Diocese.
In 2021, he was appointed Parish Priest of Chatswood, the largest parish in the Diocese. In 2021, he was appointed secretary of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia.
Fr David has written and spoke extensively on a range of topics including spirituality, Christian prayer, educating in contemporary culture, and synodality.
He was invited to represent Australia at the international meeting of parish priests as part of the Synod on Synodality, following which, his Chatswood Parish pioneered a new way to bring the Synodal activities of encounter, listening, and discernment into action called “Parish-in-Council”.
On 26 June 2026, Fr David was elected Diocesan Administrator by the College of Consultors and will remain in the role until Pope Leo XIV appoints the fifth Bishop of Broken Bay.
