Fr Will Matthews called to new role with Salesians

03 May 2025

By Contributor

By Archbishop Timothy Costelloe

With his new appointment Fr Matthews will relocate to the Salesian Generate in Rome, but will be a frequent visitor to Australia, and to the other countries which are part of the East Asia-Oceania region. Photo: The Record.

Salesian priest Fr Will Matthews SDB was recently elected by the General Chapter of the Salesian Congregation to the General Council of the Salesians, to the role of Councillor for the East Asia-Oceania region of the Congregation. 

Fr Matthews, who migrated with his family to Western Australia in 1994, regards Perth as his second home, with his family still living here.

In 1995, Fr Matthews re-located to Melbourne to continue his formation as a Salesian of Don Bosco.

Fr Matthews had already been in the Salesian novitiate in Myanmar when his family migrated to Australia, making the difficult decision to leave the novitiate and migrate with them.

However, the Salesian call was too strong and, after making contact with the Salesians who at that time cared for the Parish of Saint Joachim’s in Victoria Park, Fr Matthews continued his formation, making his final profession of vows in 2003.

Ordained to the priesthood by the now Perth Archbishop Emeritus Barry Hickey in 2005, Fr Matthews began his priestly Salesian life undertaking a number of roles in Salesian schools in the eastern states. 

In 2018, Fr Matthews was appointed as Provincial of the Australian Province in 2018 and held that role for six years.

After a sabbatical following that period of service to the province, Fr Matthews was appointed as Rector (superior) of the Salesian community in Engadine, just south of Sydney.

Ordained to the priesthood by then Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey in 2005, Salesian Fr Will Matthews SDB was recently elected to the role of Councillor for the East Asia-Oceania region of the Congregation. Photo: Facebook/Fr Will Matthews.

With this new appointment Fr Matthews will relocate to the Salesian Generate in Rome, but will be a frequent visitor to Australia, and to the other countries which are part of the East Asia-Oceania region.

He will also, no doubt, be visiting his “second home” in Perth from time to time to spend time with his family and the Burmese community.

As Fr Matthews takes up this new role under the banner of the commitment of the Salesians, made at their General Chapter, to “be passionate about Christ and dedicated to the young” the members of the Burmese community here in our Archdiocese, and all those who in so many different ways have been connected to the Salesians, especially in their countries of origin, will wish him well and support him with our prayers.