11 February 1942 – 15 September 2025
The Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, Bishop Patrick Power, has passed away at the age of 83 following years of major health issues.
Known for being an outspoken supporter of the poor and marginalised, he served as a priest for 60 years and as a bishop for 39 years.
The news of his death was reported by Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn, Archbishop Christopher Prowse.
“I convey to you the sad news that our beloved Bishop Patrick Percival Power, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Canberra and Goulburn Archdiocese, died this morning,” he said on Monday afternoon.
“Over the last few years, he serenely responded to major health issues. Bishop Pat, a quintessential Canberran, was a priest for 60 years and a bishop for 39 years. He was loved and revered as an outspoken supporter of the poor and marginalised. In 2009, he was named Canberra Citizen of the Year.”
Earlier this year, he had expressed his gratitude for his life of priestly ministry.
“There’s never been a day I haven’t thanked God for the gift of the priesthood,” Bishop Pat reflected in an interview.
“Most of all, I’ve been grateful for the people – their struggles, their faith, their generosity. They’ve taught me a lot.”
Bishop Patrick grew up in Queanbeyan and pursued a vocation to the priesthood straight after graduating from Chevalier College, Bowral. He was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn on 17 July 1965.
He served in a number of parishes before spending three years in Rome studying a doctorate in canon law, which he completed in 1975. Upon his return to the Archdiocese, he served as Archbishop’s seceratery and director of the marriage tribunal.
In 1986, he was appointed as the fifth Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn.
As bishop, he became a fierce advocate for people on the margins and opposed abortion and assisted suicide. However, he also challenged the Church’s position on priestly celibacy, sexuality and the role of women in the Church. He has called for "total systematic reform" of the Church.
In 2012, he resigned as Auxiliary Bishop, five years before he was required to, citing the Vatican’s “inability to listen” and the sexual abuse crisis.
He celebrated 60 years of priestly ministry in July.
He passed away on Monday morning at the Southern Cross Campbell Residential Care in Canberra.
Funeral arrangements will be announced this week.
Requiescat in pace