Peter Doherty – Our New Deacon
19 July, 2023
On Thursday, 20th July, Peter Doherty was ordained a transitional Deacon for the Diocese of Rockhampton by the Most Rev Michael McCarthy. It was a wonderful celebration for our Diocesan family, although some were prevented from getting through from his home town of Bundaberg due to a large crash on the Bruce Highway the afternoon prior. We were joined by Peter’s parents, seminary staff, visiting clergy, some of his seminary classmates and friends, as well as many on the livestream who were unable to be in Rockhampton in person to celebrate. The Very Reverend Neil Muir, Rector of Holy Spirit Seminary, gave testimony to Peter’s worthiness for ordination. Light refreshments were enjoyed in the grounds of the Cathedral following the celebration, giving the community an opportunity to congratulate Deacon Peter.
Peter has been based in Rockhampton since the beginning of the year and will continue his formation there.
A little bit about Peter:
Peter was born on the Solemnity of St Joseph, 1976. His family lived in Bundaberg and worshipped at St Mary’s Parish, South Bundaberg, with the exception of two years when the family lived in Gladstone and worshipped at Our Lady, Star of the Sea. It was within the community of St Mary’s that Peter discerned an early, initial, interior sense of vocational call. Peter attended St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Shalom College before acceptance to The University of Queensland.
During his first period of tertiary studies, Peter lived with the Jesuit community of St Leo’s College where his activities could be described as more ‘socialising’ than ‘evangelising.’ Aspects of Peter’s young adulthood mirrored that of the young adulthood of Augustine of Hippo. Peter’s own ‘tolle-lege’ moment was sparked through reading the theology of Joseph Ratzinger, which in turn led to encounters with the Franciscans and accompaniment by his then local parish, the Kedron Catholic Parish in Brisbane. Here, Peter became involved the life of the parish, with ministry engagement including money collector, church cleaner, hospitality, Reader, Extra-ordinary Minister of Holy Communion, RCIA team member and the Parish Pastoral Council.
Recognising that his early, interior, sense of vocational call remained untested, Peter entered Holy Spirit Seminary for his home Diocese of Rockhampton in 2019. He has had pastoral placements in Yeppoon, Bundaberg, Emerald and Rockhampton. He was a member of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia.
Peter holds a Bachelor of Economics, a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration all from The University of Queensland; a Bachelor of Theology from the Australian Catholic University, while his studies in the Master of Theological Studies from ACU continues. He has worked in ASX-listed, public sector and privately held enterprises within the finance and construction industries.
Peter likes cats; and would, after ordination, be pleased to meet yours and offer you both a blessing if you have one.
You can watch the Ordination celebration through our YouTube channel by clicking here.
