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New Dean at Cathedral

A new Dean for St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne has been announced.

Very Reverend Christoper Prowse is to be ordained a bishop on 19 May 2003.

The Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Very Reverend Les Tomlinson, is to replace him as Vicar General on 8 May 2003.

The Parish Priest of Gardenvale, Very Reverend Geoffrey Baron, is to replace him as Dean of the cathedral on 8 May 2003. In the Cathedral Mass sheet for 13 April Father Tomlinson wrote:

"... Prior to being asked to be Dean, Dean Baron had made arrangements for a month's holidays from mid May, so he will be here for a week and then away for holidays. During his absence I will fulfill the Dean's responsibilities.

Dean Baron was ordained a priest in 1968 at Saint Kevin's Church, Ormond and served in a number of parishes as an assistant priest before being appointed parish priest of Saint Joseph's Parish, Northcote in January, 1984. In July, 1997 he was appointed parish priest of Saint James' Parish, Gardenvale. Dean Baron has many talents to bring to the role of Dean of the Cathedral, not least of which are his considerable musical background and ability, his keen interest in liturgy, his warm, friendly and welcoming personality and his generous and committed pastoral care of those entrusted to him. ..."

Father Tomlinson points out that he will have been Dean of St Patrick's for four months, the briefest tenure of the 16 Deans.

I am hopeful that the changes will mean a new approach to the ministry of instituted lectors at the cathedral. I was instituted as a lector there on 27 February 2000. I have regularly attended Sunday Mass there since July 2000. But I am not permitted to read there, despite my letters and a tribunal case. Instead readers who have not been instituted do the readings, even when other instituted lectors from the seminary are there.

By J.R. Lilburne, 14 April 2003. I give what I have written on this page to the public domain.