18th Eastern Link - Province 20 Catenians of Western Australia

EASTERN LINK The Catenian Association Strengthening family life through friendship and faith PROVINCE 21
Father Greg Bourke OFM Guest Speaker at Manly May meeting
NEWS FROM MANLY
CIRCLE…
Father Greg Bourke was educated by
the Franciscans and was ordained as
a priest of the order in 1964.
He always had only one aim and
vocation in life – that was to serve as
a Franciscan missionary in Papua
New Guinea.
In 1965 he was sent to New Guinea
as a missionary and has remained
serving as a missionary up to the
present day. On his arrival in New
Guinea in 1965 he was attached to
the Aitape diocese where he was
posted to the remote missions.
These missions were such that his
only contact with the outside world
was a radio by which he was able to
keep abreast with the current news.
During this time he was engaged in bringing the message of Christ to local people – and at
the same time setting up for the first time in their villages - schools, clinics and churches. Fr
Greg continued with these activities for a period of 10 years.
In 1975 he was appointed head of the Franciscan Order in New Guinea at which time there
were about 30 missionaries in the province.
For the next 10 years Greg was involved in running the Order and working with and training
the seminarians in the province.
In 1990 Greg was appointed Vicar General of the diocese a post which he still holds till this
day.
He and Manly President Brother John Kiely (both pictured above) started school together in
country NSW. After coming back to Sydney to get some health issues “sorted.” Father Greg
expects to return to PNG soon.
/Brother Terry Hayes
JUNE Page 26 2013