The deaconate as I have experienced it for 35 years: After ordination in 1976, (a first for Queensland) and in full time ministry… I was part of a team ministry in the remote mining town of Mount Isa, Queensland. At that time there were five priests, a religious sister and my wife Barbara and myself on the team. We elected one member to act as team leader and another to manage the business of the parish. One priest was a pilot and maintained responsibility for the remote communities of which there were five and he also ministered to the indigenous people in the huge parish which was larger than Tasmania

I knew about the diaconate because it's probably older than the priesthood. But it had never occurred to me as an option because at that time the only deacons in Australia were not in Victoria.

It was my habit to go to Tarrawarra for a retreat every year. I'd been doing that for about 20 years and one time one of the priests said to me, "I don't know why you don't just get it over with and become a deacon."

I've always been a regular churchgoer, interested in faith, and involved in church music - a passion of mine.

As a teenager and at university I thought about priesthood, but then I met Vicki so I thought, ok, priesthood isn't for me. But certainly there was a very strong sense that I wanted to practice my faith and work with people.