The Oblate tradition continues with appointment of chaplain who is also a qualified mining engineer.
By Anthony Barich
Father Gerard Conlan OMI has been appointed as the new Chaplain for The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Fremantle Campus.
He replaces Fr Greg Watson OMI, who is yet to be reassigned by the Oblates after serving as UNDA chaplain for nearly five years.
Both are members of the Religious congregation the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI).
The University has a strong connection with the Oblates who arrived in Perth in 1894. An Oblate has been the Chaplain to Notre Dame, Fremantle, from its foundation.
Fr Conlan, who was relatively late in starting his vocation aged 35, first came into contact with the Oblates through Mazenod College, Lesmurdie, in Western Australia (WA) as a boarding student.
After finishing Year 12, he completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) degree at the West Australian School of Mines, Kalgoorlie, and spent the next 15 years working in the mining industry in WA, New South Wales, Victoria, Northern Territory and as a professional consultant overseas.
He first considered the priesthood aged 25 after a Sunday homily on vocations in Kalgoorlie in 1986.
After a few weeks he decided he “wasn’t good enough to be a priest” and kept working.
Then in 1991, he took six months off work and spent three months working in the Oblate mission in Cilacap, Indonesia, during which he spent much time seeking direction and discernment, coming to terms with the death of his best friend two years earlier.
During his time in Indonesia, he experienced “a sense of wonder at the great disparity of material wealth between our two countries, while at the same time the sense of joy, faith and hope shown by the Indonesian people was more than in Australia”.
He was ordained in 2003, working with the Oblates in Australia and in parishes overseas. Most recently he had a dual role of chaplaincy at Iona College in Brisbane, with 1300 boys, and with Rosies (Oblate) Youth Mission, Inc, a street outreach ministry that has more than 10 outreaches including Youth Detention Centre, Prisons and Court Support, stretching from the Gold Coast up to the Sunshine Coast and Cairns.
In August, 2008 he moved to Mazenod College, Melbourne, as relief for the resident Oblate priest who was on sabbatical, where he offered pastoral support for 1200 students and their families, to support the religious education teachers, sport and sacraments.
UNDA Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Mark McKenna said that the Oblates have been “valued supporters of the University since its beginning” in 1989.
“It is with gratitude that we thank Father Greg for his great contribution to the full life of our University Community,” he added.