Shane Carr MSC, Silver Jubilee of Ordination, April 4th
Bishop McGuckin of Toowoomba blessing an extension to the Primary School. Shane Carr attends
Congratulations to Shane. Here he tells his story.
God certainly does work in mysterious ways! Some of you will remember me and might even recall that I left active priesthood and the MSC Congregation in 2006. I had joined the MSC in 1991 and spent most of my formation time in NSW. After final vows and deaconate, I joined the School Retreat Team and during this appointment I was ordained in Melbourne on 4th of April 1997. I returned to Melbourne at the end of 1998 and began several years ministering at Star of the Sea College in Gardenvale, at this time I also assisted at St Peter’s East Bentleigh with weekend Masses. In 2003 I was appointed to Monivae College to relieve Mick Reis while he went on sabbatical. At the completion of the time, I went to JTB in San Francisco for 3 months and on my return began at Holy Spirit Casuarina as Parish Priest.
It was during the next 2 years that things became difficult for me and I discerned to leave. It was not an easy decision but it’s the one I made. In working through this process with Tim Brennan I applied for permanent leave from the MSC but for various reasons I did not apply to leave priesthood. Some months later I received a letter from the Superior General thanking me for my service and wishing me well. It might be helpful for you to know that at that time I did not thoroughly read that letter, the reason for this will become obvious a bit further on.
St Edmund’s College Ipswich offered a position on the College Leadership Team as Assistant Principal Faith and Formation which I held for 5 and a half years. During this time, I completed a Masters in Gestalt Therapy and remained at St Edmund’s for a further 3 years as College Counsellor. The next few years turned out to be a period of restlessness and indecision.
I spent 18 months in Boarding and Counselling at Assumption College Kilmore, then a further 12 months as Faith Development at an Age Care facility in Coffs Harbour and 12 months co ordinating a counselling team at a Christian school on the Gold Coast.
In February 2019 I was diagnosed with a tumour in my left kidney and after having the kidney removed, I decided that I wanted to do something that might be potentially more satisfying and rewarding. I applied for several positions, but none felt right, and I wasn’t successful in these applications. During the next 12 months I returned to Ipswich and worked as a relief teacher obtaining a couple of long-term contracts and began to settle into the idea that this would see out my working life.
About this time last year, I saw a position advertised with the Toowoomba Diocese for a Pastoral Care/Parish worker for Cunnamulla. After phoning about this position, I was informed that although I was certainly qualified, they were not looking to pay what I would require. Three weeks later Chris McPhee msc called me to say he’d been speaking with the Bishop of Toowoomba, and he thought I might receive a call from him. Sure enough 3 hours later Bishop Robert McGuckin phoned me for a discussion. He basically said that he could not offer me the position as technically I was still a priest, as I had never applied for laicization. He then went on to say that what he’d like to do is offer my faculties for 12 months and then to see how things went.
Four months earlier I had asked God for a sign regarding what He wanted me to do, and I had told him not to make it subtle as I was sick of trying to work out my future and it was His turn to give me a clear message. While talking to Bishop McGuckin my own words came rushing back at me, and I thought “well this isn’t subtle”. In the process of the Bishop contacting Chris, it was discovered that my exclaustration was for a period of 2 years leave and technically I’d been a member of the Province for the past 11 years.
So here I am, back in priesthood and back with the MSC and things seem to be going well. I have received great support from Chris McPhee msc, Jim Littleton msc, Stephen Hackett msc, Peter Steane msc and Bob Irwin msc and I’ve been extremely grateful for this. God certainly does work in mysterious ways.
Martin Kelly, Andrew Ballesty, Shane Ryan, Martin Monaghan, Shane Carr, Chris McPhee, First profession, June 1993. Below, Silver Jubilee, 2018
