We are pleased to announce that, in consultation with our Jesuit Provincial, Fr Quyen Vu SJ, Most Rev. Anthony Fisher
OP, Archbishop of Sydney, has appointed Fr David Braithwaite SJ as the next Parish Priest of St Canice’s.
Fr Dave is no stranger to the Parish as he has been living here for over a year while writing his doctoral thesis on Systematic Theology. Previously, Father David was involved in the Jesuit Australian Province’s ministry with young adults for about ten years.
He will take up the role of Parish Priest on 1st December, after a two-month stay as visiting scholar at Boston College, where he will continue working on his doctorate. Fr Sacha will continue as our Parish Administrator until then.
As a parish, we have a lot to look forward to with Fr Dave’s appointment. With any change there’s a period of uncertainty until the new person hits his stride and that sense of the unknown recedes. One aspect of Fr Dave’s new ministry is his reputation for ensuring a dignified Liturgy. He has a reputation for preaching with a simple message that reinvigorates our sense of faith. We share one such homily of his from last year’s Mass-on-Line – ‘The Love of God’.
Homily Love by David Braithwaite SJ
WELCOME TO OUR NEW PARISH PRIEST
Before commencing his doctorate, Father David was founder and CEO of The Cardoner Project, the Jesuits’ ministry to university-aged young adults in the centre of the university precinct in Chippendale, in an old bank building at 202 Broadway.
This involved a residence for 20 young men, placing up to 50 volunteers to live and work in Asia, Central America and Africa for 12 months, as well as organizing shorter immersions for another 120 young people each year. It also saw Fr David as the licensee of a 90-seat bar and restaurant called The Two Wolves Community Cantina which had up to 200 volunteers on the roster fortnightly.
In addition, it was a centre for talks, retreats and leadership formation through the Two Wolves Leadership Collective and the Jesuit Centre for Social Entrepreneurship.
Fr David was also the Province’s Vocations’ Director during this time. Apart from his degrees in theology and philosophy, he has postgraduate degrees in public policy and international relations and sits on several not-for-profit and charitable boards and committees.
He is currently the Asia Director of The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. Fr David has a very strong interest in promoting social enterprise and leadership in an Ignatian mode and looks forward to the Parish being a centre for that work, especially engaging young adults.