November 2026

Dear Brothers,

At the beginning of this year I mentioned to Archbishop Peter that I was getting closer to retirement and that some thought to succession planning for the Vicar General’s office might be in order. I was delighted when he took me at my word and last month announced that Fr Binh Le would succeed me as Vicar General in the new year.
 
When Chris Fagan (eight years younger than me) stepped down as a three time Premiership Coach, his example confirmed for me that it is better to step aside when people question ‘Why are you finishing?’ than ask ‘Why are you still here?’
The role of Vicar General is so diverse and no two days are the same. The challenges and variety of issues I have found to be very stimulating, but the constant pressure can be emotionally draining. It is a role more suited to a younger and more energetic priest. I am immensely grateful to Fr Binh for his generous response to Archbishop Peter’s call.
 
The joy of working in this role is the support of a wonderful team in the VGO and those who collaborate with us at the Archdiocese. The awareness that most problems can at best be managed rather than solved constantly reminds us that this life is a journey, not the destination.
 
I am also most grateful to you, my brothers, for the patience and understanding you have afforded me, particularly when perplexing issues needed to be addressed. The best we have accomplished since I took this role can only be the result of God’s grace, your prayers being answered or your kind hearted tolerance for less than ideal results. Sometimes all three.  
A gentle transition to my eventual retirement through a return to parish life with a contribution at the Tribunal of the Catholic Church now beckons and I thank you for your best wishes in this.
 

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Very Rev Tony Kerin JCL VG
Vicar General

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST – LAVERTON PARISH

Expressions of interest are invited for the position of Parish Priest for Holy Trinity Parish, Laverton. Any priest wishing to apply is invited to forward an application using the attached Expression of Interest Form.
 
Please submit your application by Tuesday 17 November 2026.  Applications will be considered at the PAB Meeting on Thursday 26 November 2026.
 
Please also find attached the Parish Profile and a Social Parish Profile.
 
You may wish to consider contacting a member of the Personnel Advisory Board to discuss your interest prior to your application:

• Most Rev Thinh Nguyen – Bishop, Eastern Region 
  thinh.nguyen@cam.org.au

• Very Rev Dr Cameron Forbes – Rector, Corpus Christi College 
  cameron.forbes@cam.org.au

• Rev Anthony Girolami – Coordinator, Clergy Life and Ministry 
  anthony.girolami@cam.org.au

• Rev Justel Callos – PP, Mount Waverley Parish & Jordanville Parish 
  Justel.Callos@cam.org.au

• Rev Linh Pham – PP, Queenscliff Parish 
  linh.pham@cam.org.au

• Rev Dr Max Vodola – PP, Fitzroy Parish 
  Max.Vodola@ctc.edu.au

• Rev Richard Rosse – PP, Caroline Springs Parish 
  richard.rosse@cam.org.au 

• Rev Shabin Kaniampuram IVDei– PP, Alphington-Thornbury, Northcote and Thornbury Parishes 
  shabin.kaniampuram@cam.org.au

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PARISH SACRAMENTAL STATISTICS – 2026

Please find the link here for the Parish Sacramental Statistics Form for 2026. As these responses are required by the Archbishop to complete the Annual Return to the Vatican, the completed form is to be emailed, ideally before Christmas, or at the latest by Friday 29 January 2026 to vicar.general@cam.org.au

FAITH IN ACTION: AN ELECTION GUIDE FROM THE BISHOPS OF VICTORIA

Ahead of the 2026 Victorian election, the Bishops of Victoria have issued a joint election statement highlighting key issues for  Catholics to consider  when deciding their vote. Please share the statement widely with your parishioners in the weeks leading up to the election on Saturday 28 November, encouraging them to read  the  statement so they can prayerfully discern how their vote can contribute to the common good. 

To assist with sharing the Bishops’ statement, the following resources are provided:

• Election statement

• Parish bulletin notice

 You are encouraged to make printed copies of the statement available within your parish and to share the bulletin notice through your parish communication channels.


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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REFERENCE GROUP – UPDATE

A recent update on the work of the Religious Education Reference Group was shared with Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Please find here the Circular Update.

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MELBOURNE CATHOLIC DIGEST (OCT/NOV EDITION) 

The latest edition of the free bi-monthly MC Digest will soon arrive in parishes. Thank you for sharing this newspaper with your community, especially those who do not have regular access to computers.

We are keen to hear your feedback. Please complete this survey and let us know how we can continue to improve this key resource for our local community.

ORDINATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD & DIACONATE – SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2026

On Saturday 14 November 2026 at 10.00am in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Deacons Rhys Lowther and Dominic Lawes will be ordained to the priesthood and Nicholas Calandra, Andrew Tran and Anthony Wright to the Transitional Diaconate. Bradley Proud, Francis Thomas, Ryan Martin and Peter Nguyen will be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate.
 
All Clergy are most welcome to concelebrate the Ordination Mass. Please bring your own alb and cincture and be vested by 9.30am in the Cathedral Room.  Please let Julie Allan at the Cathedral Office know if you are concelebrating no later than Wednesday 11 November 2026 either via email cathedral@cam.org.au or telephone 9662 2233.
 
Please pray for them as they embark on their ministry in the service of the Archdiocese.

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ADULT CONFIRMATIONS 2026 – SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2026

The Sacrament of Adult Confirmation at St Patrick’s Cathedral 2026 will be held on Sunday on 22 November 2026 at the 11.00am Solemn Mass. Adult Confirmation Candidates must be prepared by their local parish priest and receive a Confirmation card from their Priest on completion of their preparation. The Confirmation Card contains information such as:  Name in Confirmation, Full name, Address, Age, Date and Place of Baptism, Name of Sponsor's and Name and Signature of Priest recommending the candidate for Confirmation.
 
Please note it is important that you register your candidate prior to the information session, ensuring staff are aware of attendees on the evening.

The Confirmation Application Form MUST be completed and returned prior to the information evening. Please find here the Confirmation Application Form

Candidates are required to attend an information session on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at 6.30pm. The information session will be held in St Patrick’s Cathedral in the Sacred Heart Chapel.
 
Candidates must bring with them or email prior to the information session – Cathedral@cam.org.au  their Confirmation Application Form with copies of their Baptism Certificate, Birth Certificate, Confirmation Card, letter from the RCIA Co-Ordinator or Parish Priest confirming they have been prepared and of course their Sponsor.
 
For more information please contact Julie Allan on (03) 9662 2233 

NEW VICAR GENERAL – REVEREND BINH LE 

The Archbishop has appointed Reverend Father Binh Le as the new Vicar General. We give thanks to Fr Binh for his willingness to accept this important responsibility in the service of the Archbishop and the People of God. May the Holy Spirit guide and strengthen him as he takes up his new appointment as Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Melbourne from 1 February 2027.

PARISH PRIEST

LOCATION: Croydon
PRIEST: Rev Norvin Dias
DATE: 05.01.2027

LOCATION: Fawkner
PRIEST: Rev Florentino (Boy) Galdo
DATE: 01.02.2027
(in addition to his role as Parish Priest of Fawkner North Parish)

LOCATION: Thomastown West
PRIEST: Very Rev Luciano Toldo CS EV
DATE: 30.11.2026
(in addition to his role as Episcopal Vicar for the Northern Region & Parish Priest of Lalor Parish)

ASSISTANT PRIEST

LOCATION: Frankston & Frankston East
PRIEST: Rev Peter Njau CSSp
DATE: 20.10.2026

CHAPLAIN

LOCATION: Spiritual Director, St Vincent de Paul State Council
PRIEST: Rev Maria Raju Godavarthi
DATE: 01.11.2026
(in addition to his role as Parish Priest of Oakleigh & Oakleigh East Parishes)

LOCATION: Divine Mercy Shrine, Keysborough & Polish Community  
PRIEST: Rev Grzegorz Karol Brzozowski-Zabost SChr
DATE: 07.10.2026

NEWLY ARRIVED PRIESTS

We warmly welcome two new priests, Reverend Father Norvin Dias and Reverend Father Grzegorz Karol Brzozowski-Zabost SCHr to the Archdiocese. Fr Norvin Dias is appointed Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish, Croydon in January 2027 and Fr Brzozowski-Zabost SChr is appointed Chaplain to the Polish Community and the Divine Mercy Shrine in Keysborough.

The Archbishop has accepted the retirement of Archpriest Michael Kalka, Parish Priest of Altona Parish on the 11 October 2026. We wish Archpriest Michael all the very best for his retirement and thank him for his dedication and service to God’s people in the Archdiocese.

Archbishop Peter will once again host Clergy dinners at his residence (199 Rathdowne Street, Carlton) from 6.30pm – 8.30pm. For those new to these events, Archbishop Peter and seven guests can be accommodated for each dinner, and you will be able to see the available dates in the booking process, and whether a dinner evening is fully subscribed.  

2026 evenings:

• Tuesday 20 October

• Tuesday 10 November 

• Tuesday 15 December

Parking is available in the grounds of Sacred Heart Church (corner Rathdowne and Pelham Streets).  Enter via Pelham Street. The (walk in) entrance to the residence is on Rathdowne Street. From time-to-time emergency meetings crop up in the Archbishop’s diary.  We will try and give as much advance notice as possible should this happen in regard to your booking.

Register here.

Melbourne Synod Update from Bishop Martin Ashe
Thank you for supporting the preparations leading to the Melbourne Synod. A reminder regarding the Membership process:
 
Regional parish representatives:
Friday 11 September: Recommendations for the nominated fifteen representatives of each region are to be submitted to the Synod office.
 
Submissions
As you may recall, we closed the submission portal on the weekend of 22/23 August. All the data received by that date is now being reviewed and coded for reporting purposes with the assistance of the National Centre for Pastoral Research. On Tuesday 1 September, the Synod Commission will meet to review the data and provide guidance to the writing groups. The writing groups will commence their work toward the end of next week. We are currently in the process of finalising the composition of these groups and membership will be announced shortly. Responses received after the closing weekend are also being collated and will be provided to the commission in a separate paper summarising the key themes that have emerged. If you have any queries regarding the process, please get in touch with Cathy Jenkins via Synod2026@cam.org.au.

Please find here the latest update for the Melbourne Synod 2026.

PARISH SACRAMENTAL SAFEGUARDING UPDATES – VICTORIAN WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK (WWCC) – IMPORTANT CHANGES 

New Working with Children (WWC) check changes have come into effect from 19 October 2026.
 
Please read our previous campaign regarding these changes: 
Updates from the Social Services Regulator - What's Changing
 
Read our Vine news post for guidance regarding establishment and use of WWC connect:
WWC Connect: A Quick Guide for Parishes
 
Updated Resources:
Safe Programs - Practice and Behavioural Guidelines v4.0:  
Guidance on planning safe activities and managing situational risks. Lease and license arrangement for third parties table updated.

Church Personnel Safeguarding Guidelines v3.0: 
Overview of personnel management including compliance and recruitment.  WWC check and police check information resources are now embedded.

New Resources:
Safe Programs and Risk Management (Video):  
Short videos on safeguarding risks and completing risk assessments.

Service in Mission: Safety Protocols for Visitations Guidance for home visitation.

COPYRIGHT REMINDER 

Just a reminder to everyone to be mindful about images or other materials used in your newsletters, websites or related publications. The Archdiocese is seeing a growing number of cases where Parishes have used copyrighted materials, such as images found online without proper permission. As a result, some Parishes have received copyright infringement notices or letters of demand from agencies such as PicRights or law firms seeking payments for alleged breaches.
 
Please read this to help avoid copyright infringements. It is important for Parishes to understand how to use content and images in the public domain without potentially infringing copyright laws.

PREVIOUS MARRIAGES AND THE TRIBUNAL 

No person previously married should plan a re-marriage in the Catholic Church unless and until a declaration of nullity is given. The Tribunal will not give priority to a case because a date has been set or plans made.

Any non-Catholic Christian, or a person of another religion or no religion, who was previously married and divorced and whose former spouse is still alive (or presumed alive) is not automatically free to remarry in the Catholic Church. Any previous marriage needs to be referred to the Tribunal to see what sort of investigation is needed.
 
For divorced Catholics who married outside the canonical form of marriage without a dispensation and who never validated the marriage in the Catholic Church, there is a separate process which requires an interview with their parish priest who will fill out a Declaration of Freedom to Marry (Lack of Canonical Form).

PROCLAIM: OFFICE FOR MISSION RENEWAL  

YOUTH LEADERS TRAINING
Saturday 7 November 2026, 9am-3pm, Cardinal Knox Centre, East Melbourne
Youth and young adult leaders will explore safeguarding requirements, practical advice, case studies and risk management to help strengthen their mission for young people. Register here.

RED NOVEMBER 2026
Throughout November, Aid to the Church in Need invites Catholics around the world to stand in prayer and solidarity with Christians who suffer persecution because of their faith. From 16 to 22 November, St Patrick’s Cathedral will be illuminated in red, joining cathedrals and churches around the world in a visible sign of solidarity with our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. Parishes and communities are encouraged to take part in this campaign with liturgical, prayer and practical resources available on the Red November website.
 

PARISH BULLETIN NOTICES – PROCLAIM: OFFICE FOR MISSION RENEWAL
Find the latest parish bulletin notices and promotional materials from Proclaim: Office for Mission Renewal including for World Youth Day, The Bethany Way, and other events here.

RIP - REVEREND BRENDAN JAMES LANE

I convey to you the sad news that Father Brendan James Lane died peacefully early this morning, Thursday 5 November 2026, at Justin Villa, Balwyn, aged 81 years.

“O God, listen favourably to our prayers offered on behalf of your servant and priest, and grant that Brendan, who committed himself zealously to the service of your name, may rejoice forever in the company of your saints. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen”

Fr Brendan was ordained by James Cardinal Knox on 25 August 1973 at St Patrick’s Cathedral, East Melbourne. Following his ordination, he was appointed temporarily as Assistant Priest at Fitzroy before serving as Assistant Priest at Bulleen (1974), Glenhuntly (1975) and Cheltenham (1979).

With a strong desire to serve the Church in Africa, Fr Brendan was granted leave in 1981 to take up an appointment in the Diocese of Kasama, Zambia, as a Melbourne Overseas Mission priest. He served as

Chaplain to St Francis Secondary School, Malole, until 1985. On returning to the Archdiocese, he was appointed as Assistant Priest at Sunshine, subsequently serving as Parish Priest from 1988 until 1996. He was then appointed Parish Priest of Hampton Park in 1996 and of Mill Park in 2003.

In 2009, Fr Brendan was appointed Rector of Corpus Christi College and Rector of Sacred Heart Church Carlton, dedicating himself to the formation and education of future priests. He will be remembered with deep gratitude for his leadership, wisdom and exceptional commitment to the young seminarians entrusted to his care. His teaching, guidance, and example of priestly life helped shape the ministries of many priests now serving our Archdiocese and beyond.

In 2017, he was appointed as the Administrator of Greythorn and, later that year, Parish Priest of Dandenong, where he served until his retirement in 2023.

Throughout his ministry, Fr Brendan also served as Vicar Forane of the Sunshine Deanery, as a member of the Personnel Advisory Board and as Chaplain to Corpus Christi Community, Greenvale.

Fr Brendan will be remembered for his gentle priestly manner and missionary heart. A devoted and hardworking pastor, he faithfully served God’s people in Melbourne and the wider Church. The people of the Archdiocese give thanks for his 53 years of priestly service.

May he rest in peace.

Funeral details will be notified once finalised.