Meet our next Plenary Member, the Very Reverend Fr Peter Whitely, our Vicar General and Vicar for Effective Communications and Archdiocesan Growth and Development.
Fr Peter is the seventh of eight children and was born in East Fremantle.
Fr Whitely commenced his education at St Thomas Catholic Primary School in 1952 and from 1957 to 1963, Fr Whitely attended St Joseph’s Marist Brothers College in Subiaco, before entering St Charles’ Seminary in 1964 to complete the last two years of secondary school.
He furthered his education in 1966 when he commenced studies in philosophy, before studying theology at St Francis Xavier Seminary in Rostrevor, South Adelaide from 1969 to 1972.
Once completed, Fr Whitely returned to Perth and was ordained a deacon at St Mary’s Cathedral on 12 December 1971 by the late Archbishop Launcelot John Goody, who would later, on 2 September 1972, ordain him to the priesthood at St Thomas the Apostle Church in Claremont.
Since 1988, Fr Whitely has also provided pastoral care and Masses for Indonesian Catholic families migrating to Perth, helping to establish the Indonesian Catholic Community in 1993 and serving as its Chaplain for more than 12 years.
Fr Whitely has also been an Army Reserve Chaplain for more than three decades and has received a “Reserved Forces Decoration” with three clasps for his loyal service, as well as a Chief of Army Commendation in 2006 for achievements as Staff Chaplain Western Region.
In 2013, he was appointed as Vicar General.
Let’s hear Fr Peter Whitely’s response to what he thinks the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church in Australia at this time.
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