Commission Members

Patricia Blundell rsm

Sr Patricia, a Sister of Mercy, is Ecumenical Co-ordinating Chaplain at Griffith University. She is President of the National University Chaplains' Association & Secretary of the International Association, Co-Chair of the Asia-Pacific Women of Faith Network of Religions for Peace, a member of the Australian Association for the Study of Religion and has Masters Degrees in Arts (Theology), Education and Religious Education; and a PhD in Inter-Religious Dialogue.  

Nasir Butrous

Nasir is an Associate Professor in Management and leadership at Australian Catholic University Brisbane Campus. He has a keen interest in Interfaith Relations and is a member of the Commission's Inter-religious Sub-Committee.

Bishop Brian Finnigan

Bishop Brian is an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Brisbane. He has had a long-term interest in ecumenism, with involvement in the Victorian Council of Churches. He is currently President of Queensland Churches Together.

Deacon Anthony Gooley

Anthony has, for over 20 years, been involved in religious education and formation for adults and young people. He is currently working on a PhD in theology on questions relating to ecumenism and is a member of the Education Sub-Committee.

Fr Gerard Hall sm

Gerard is a Marist priest and Associate Professor of Theology at St Paul's Theological College, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane. He completed his doctorate in 1994 at the Catholic University of America on the theology of religions and interfaith dialogue. Currently involved with the International Spirit of Religion Project, he is also Queensland State Coordinator and Advisory Board member for the Asia Pacific Centre for Interreligious Dialogue.

Fr Gerry Hefferan

Gerry was ordained in 1979 as a priest of the Archdiocese of Brisbane.He has ministered in the parishes of Zillmere, Gympie, Graceville and Coomera / Oxenford and is currently priest in residence at Mitchelton. He was chaplain in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities 1984-1990 and has been involved in East Timor, ecumenical schooling, Indigenous issues, South African peace monitoring and lobbying against the death penalty.

Natalie is the Research Support Officer for Weemala Indigenous Unit at Australian Catholic University. She has a professional background in pastoral ministry and theology, working for the past 12 years with young people in parish and school communities in Brisbane and Ipswich. Natalie has a degree in Theology from the Brisbane College of Theology and a Masters of Philosophy in Ecumenics from the Irish School of Ecumenics.  

Pat Mullins

Pat Mullins is a solicitor in private practice in Brisbane.  He is in a Catholic/Anglican interchurch family with his Anglican wife and their children.  Pat has a commitment to a lived ecumenism. He recently completed his Master of Theology at St Paul's Theological College, Brisbane and his thesis dealt with a selection of the Trinitarian writings of St Augustine of Hippo.

Margaret Naylon

Margaret was, for many years, a primary teacher in schools in the Brisbane Archdiocese. Her lifelong interest in ecumenism led to her appointment in 2004 as the full-time Executive Officer of the Brisbane Commission. She is also a member of the executive of Queensland Churches Together, the National Council of Churches in Australia and a member of the Joint Working Group between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches.

Fr David Pascoe

Fr David is a priest of the Archdiocese of Brisbane and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy, ACU, Brisbane. He is a member of the Australian Catholic Theological Association and has a particular interest in fields of sacraments and ecclesiology. Fr David is also a member of the Uniting Church of Australia/Roman Catholic National Dialogue, which is based in Brisbane, and Chairperson of the Commission.

Toni Pride

Toni Pride grew up in the far SW of Queensland, surrounded by relations and friends from a wide range of Christian traditions. She was educated by the Mercy Sisters and later the Dominicans in Sydney. In 1999, she spent some months with the Dominicans in The Solomons. Trained at Qld Teachers' College, and later UQ, she taught in bush State Schools and in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Her final twenty-three teaching years were at an Anglican school where she was involved in the Religious Education programme and Debating.

Jenny Simpson

Jenny was born in Darwin, grew up in Brisbane and for more than twenty years lived in Gladstone. She is a teacher, with experience at all levels from pre-school to tertiary and has a keen interest in both ecumenism and interfaith relations. Jenny holds a Masters in Religious Education and is currently teaching at All Hallows School. She is also Chairperson of the Parish Pastoral Council at Corinda Graceville.

Lorraine Victorsen sgs

Lorraine is a Good Samaritan Sister. Her ministry background is in education, social work, adult faith education and parish pastoral ministry and leadership.Her current ministry interests focus on University Chaplaincy and inter-religious dialogue and she is beginning further post-graduate studies in inter-religious dialogue.