austraLasia 1209
New Provincial for Australia announced
ROME: 24 July 2005 -- The Regional Superior for East Asia-Oceania, Fr Vaclav Klement, today confirmed that the Rector Major with his Council has appointed Fr Francis Moloney as Provincial for the Australian Province. The announcement has officially been made also in the Province today. Fr Moloney will replace Fr Ian Murdoch, whose term draws to a close at the end of this year.
Fr Frank Moloney (the familiar form is a feature of Australian naming) needs little introduction almost anywhere in the Religious and Salesian world. He was born on 23rd March 1940 in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon, made his novitiate in 1960 at Sunbury, Melbourne, the motherhouse of the Australian Province, did his practical training there and was ultimately ordained in that same House in 1970. He pursued theolgical studies at what is now the UPS and continued his studies after ordination, which included a Ph.D. from Oxford University. Frank taught at the UPS, returning eventually to Australia where he was appointed Rector of the theological community at Oakleigh. He was Vice Provincial for a period, Rector of Brunswick community in Melbourne and continued to teach, write and contribute to the wider ecclesial, religious and academic scene, both in Australia and abroad. This included appointment as founding professor of theology at the Australian Catholic University, his role as founding editor of the Pacifica, a theological magazine, his long membership of the International Theological Commission, his recognition by the Australian Government as a Member of the Order of Australia, and his appointment as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the first theologian to be appointed to that body.
His international fame as Scripture scholar inevitably meant invitations to take up posts where he could further contribute to biblical scholarship, especially the New Testament and more especially the Gospels of John and Mark. By this stage he was the natural successor to a distinguished name like Raymond Brown and in fact completed the publishing of that scholar's final manuscipt as a posthumous tribute. Frank held the Katherine Drexel Chair of Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, and then became Dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies there on the death of the incumbent Monsignor Stepehn Happel in late 2003. There is little doubt that the invitations did not stop there.
Significantly, Frank has never lost touch with the Australian Province during these busy years overseas, returning regularly to family and community, and despite the accolades of academia, has never lost the personal touch. Indeed those accolades frequently include mention of that, and a unique ability to educate in ordinary language which does not belie depth of scholarship.
It is expected that the official installation of the new provincial and expression of gratitude to the incumbent provincial will be on December 16.
______________________________
New Provincial for Australia announced
ROME: 24 July 2005 -- The Regional Superior for East Asia-Oceania, Fr Vaclav Klement, today confirmed that the Rector Major with his Council has appointed Fr Francis Moloney as Provincial for the Australian Province. The announcement has officially been made also in the Province today. Fr Moloney will replace Fr Ian Murdoch, whose term draws to a close at the end of this year.
Fr Frank Moloney (the familiar form is a feature of Australian naming) needs little introduction almost anywhere in the Religious and Salesian world. He was born on 23rd March 1940 in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon, made his novitiate in 1960 at Sunbury, Melbourne, the motherhouse of the Australian Province, did his practical training there and was ultimately ordained in that same House in 1970. He pursued theolgical studies at what is now the UPS and continued his studies after ordination, which included a Ph.D. from Oxford University. Frank taught at the UPS, returning eventually to Australia where he was appointed Rector of the theological community at Oakleigh. He was Vice Provincial for a period, Rector of Brunswick community in Melbourne and continued to teach, write and contribute to the wider ecclesial, religious and academic scene, both in Australia and abroad. This included appointment as founding professor of theology at the Australian Catholic University, his role as founding editor of the Pacifica, a theological magazine, his long membership of the International Theological Commission, his recognition by the Australian Government as a Member of the Order of Australia, and his appointment as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the first theologian to be appointed to that body.
His international fame as Scripture scholar inevitably meant invitations to take up posts where he could further contribute to biblical scholarship, especially the New Testament and more especially the Gospels of John and Mark. By this stage he was the natural successor to a distinguished name like Raymond Brown and in fact completed the publishing of that scholar's final manuscipt as a posthumous tribute. Frank held the Katherine Drexel Chair of Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, and then became Dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies there on the death of the incumbent Monsignor Stepehn Happel in late 2003. There is little doubt that the invitations did not stop there.
Significantly, Frank has never lost touch with the Australian Province during these busy years overseas, returning regularly to family and community, and despite the accolades of academia, has never lost the personal touch. Indeed those accolades frequently include mention of that, and a unique ability to educate in ordinary language which does not belie depth of scholarship.
It is expected that the official installation of the new provincial and expression of gratitude to the incumbent provincial will be on December 16.
______________________________
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