Bishop Anthony Randazzo has announced a range of new appointments of clergy in the Diocese of Broken Bay for the New Year.
In a Letter to the People of God in the Diocese, Bishop Randazzo wrote the new appointments include the Deans for the three Deaneries. Bishop Randazzo wrote:
Dear brothers and sisters,
As the work of the year comes to its completion, there are significant developments I need to share with you in respect to the appointment of clergy in our Diocese for the commencement of 2022.
Firstly, I am delighted to share with you that I have appointed the following clergy as Deans (Vicars Forane) effective 4 February 2022:
• Fr David Taylor, Dean of the Northern Beaches Deanery, for a period of I year
• Fr Colin Blayney, Dean of the North Shore Deanery, for a period of 3 years
• Fr Brian Moloney, Dean of the Central Coast Deanery, for a period of 3 years
I am grateful for the recommendations received by many of the clergy, and I thank each of our new Deans for their acceptance of their Appointment. I look forward to working with them early in 2022 as we continue to shape our new Deaneries. I am confident that our Deaneries will pastorally strengthen the life of our parish communities and provide new opportunities for presbyteral support.
Secondly, with regret 1 have accepted the decision of the Congregation of St Michael the Archangel (the Michaelites) to withdraw Fr Pawel Kopczynski CSMA from the Parish of Wyoming, effective 30 January 2022.
This has been occasioned by the need of the Congregation to consolidate their mission. I take this opportunity to thank the Michaelite Fathers for their long contribution to the Diocese, and in particular to express my gratitude to Fr Pawel for his dedication and service to our Diocese over the past several years both at the Parishes of Terrigal and Wyoming.
Fr Bill Stephens, having served the Parish of The Entrance for 22 years, will move to lesser duties in June 2022 at the end of his current term as Parish Priest. This is a very significant moment for Fr Bill and there will be opportunity to thank him in a number of ways as June draws near.
However, I wish to record my deepest appreciation to Fr Bill for his long years of priestly service and, especially, for his decades of service to the parish community of The Entrance.
These developments occasion the necessity for other changes in appointment in the Diocese. I therefore bring to your attention the following new appointments:
For the Cathedral Parish of Hornsby, for which I will particularly exercise my canonical position as Parish Priest
• Fr Brendan Lee (on loan from the Diocese of Wagga VVagga), Moderator, effective 21 January 2022.
• Fr Anselam Lakra, Assistant Priest, effective 30 December 2021.
• Fr Roger Delmonte, Assistant Priest, continuing in his current appointment.
• Deacon Peter McCulloch, effective 21 January 2022.
• Mr Rosan Mathew, seminarian, effective 21 January 2022.
For the Parish of Wahroonga
• Fr Manoj Manuel, Assistant Priest, effective 30 December 2021. Fr Manoj will be taking some extended leave as he assumes his new appointment.
For the Parish of Wyoming
• Fr Peter deSouza, Administrator, effective 28 January 2022. Fr Peter will be on annual leave from his current appointment at the Cathedral Parish of Hornsby from 29 December 2021.
For the Parish of The Entrance
• Fr Brian Moloney, Assistant Priest, effective 4 February 2022 until June 2022, then Parish Priest; Dean of the Central Coast Deanery.
For the Parish of Lower North Shore
• Fr Jose Philip OSH, Parish Priest, effective 4 February 2022.
For the Parish of Kincumber
• Fr Bogdan Skupien, Administrator, effective 4 February 2022.
For the Parish of Epping and Carlingford
• Fr Vincent Trung Nguyen, Assistant Priest, effective I February 2022.
I thank each of these clergy for their generosity of availability, as I thank their respective communities for their understanding of the change that these new appointments represent. Please keep both in your prayer over the coming weeks as the various transitions unfold.
Those clergy in transition might work with my Vicar General, Fr David, in respect to the practicalities of their new appointments.
Lastly, I am pleased to share that the Sisters of St Paul de Chartres have opened a convent of the Congregation in our Diocese, and in the Parish of Lower North Shore, at 71 McClelland Street, North Willoughby NSW 2068.
lt has been my pleasure to celebrate Mass for them recently in their new chapel. We look forward to introducing the Sisters to the life of our Diocese in due time.
Again, I commend these developments to your prayer and extend my sincere Christmas wishes to all.
Sincerely yours in Christ
Most Rev Anthony Randazzo DD, JCL
Bishop of Broken Bay