Acknowledging Pat Power, retired auxiliary bishop, Canberra, 80.
Pat Power is a Chevalier College Old Boy, friend of the MSC, especially in Canberra. He turns 80, 11th February.
From the Wikipedia entry:
Patrick Power grew up in Queanbeyan and was educated at St Christopher's School and St Edmund's College in Canberra and completed his schooling at Chevalier College, Bowral. After leaving school, he trained for the priesthood at St Columba's College in Springwood and St Patrick's College, Manly.
He was ordained to the priesthood in Queanbeyan on 17 July 1965 and served in the parishes of Braidwood, Canberra and Goulburn before being asked by Archbishop Thomas Cahill to undertake a doctorate in canon law in 1972 at the Propaganda Fide College, Rome. On the completion of his studies in 1975, Power returned to Canberra and for 10 years served as archbishop's secretary (to three archbishops) and director of the marriage tribunal. In February 1985, Power became parish priest of his home parish of Queanbeyan.
On 18 April 1986, he was consecrated bishop by Archbishop Francis Carroll in St Christopher's Cathedral, Canberra, becoming the fifth Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra–Goulburn.
Since that time he served on bishops' committees for laity, ecumenism, canon law, family and life, social welfare and media. He has also been the Secretary of the Committee for Justice, Development, Ecology and Peace and a member of the Australian Social Justice Council.
Much of his ministry has been in the field of ecumenical and inter-faith relations. He was the first Catholic co-chairman of AUSTARC, the national Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue. He served a number of terms as chair of the ACT Churches Council.
At the 1998 Oceania Synod of Bishops in Rome, Power spoke on marginalised people in society and in the church. Much of his efforts have been directed in this area through Catholic Welfare Australia and through local community organizations in Canberra. He has been a strong advocate for the East Timorese and the Palestinian people, for Aboriginal people, for racial respect, for the unemployed and in opposition to abortion and assisted suicide.
His early resignation, at age 70, as auxiliary bishop of Canberra and Goulburn was effective from 7 June 2012.
