The Archdiocese of Brisbane is led by our Archbishop, Auxiliary Bishop & Vicar General.
The Archdiocese of Brisbane leadership consists of Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Bishop Ken Howell and Vicar General Monsignor Peter Meneely.
Archbishop Mark ColeridgeArchbishop Mark Coleridge, BA DSS
Archbishop Mark Coleridge
Archbishop Mark Benedict Coleridge is the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
Please see our Archbishop section for more information about Archbishop Mark Coleridge including his biography, past homilies, pastoral messages and more.
Bishop Ken Howell
Bishop Ken Howell
In 1977, he entered Pius XII Regional Seminary, and he was ordained a Priest on 24 June 1983. From 1983 to 1994, he worked as Assistant Priest in the Parishes of Noosa Districts, Burleigh Heads and the Cathedral, Brisbane.
Between 1994 and 1997, he completed a Licentiate in Sacred Liturgy at the Pontifical Institute Sant’Anselmo in Rome. He served as Secretary to the then Archbishop John Bathersby from 1997 to 2010. During this time, Bishop Howell served at the Cathedral as Associate Pastor and Director of Worship from 1997 to 2005, Dean of the Cathedral between 2006 and 2012 and as Vice Rector of the Holy Spirit Seminary between 2002 and 2008. In 2009, he took on a concurrent appointment as Administrator of St Mary’s Parish, South Brisbane.
In 2013 he became the Parish Priest at Burleigh Heads. The Bishop has been a long-standing member of the Council of Priests and Chairman from 2008 to 2013. He is also a member of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission, which he was chairing at the time of his appointment by Pope Francis on March 29, 2017.
At the time of that announcement Bishop Howell said he looked to the future with confidence “with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the love and prayers of the people of God who have supported my ministry”.
“I ask you to pray for me as I accept the invitation of our Holy Father to serve the Church as a member of the College of Bishops”.
Bishop Howell’s Episcopal Ordination was held on June 14, 2017.
Vicar General Monsignor Peter Meneely
Msgr Peter Meneely
The Vicar General of the Archdiocese is the Rev Msgr Peter Meneely VG who was appointed by Archbishop Bathersby as the Moderator of the Curia in 2000. Archbishop Coleridge appointed Fr Meneely as Vicar General of the Archdiocese from June 2012.
The main focus of the office is to represent the Archbishop in overseeing the work of the various departments and Church offices within the Archdiocesan Curia. The role also involves providing an executive capacity to the Archbishop for the carrying out of his extensive range of responsibilities.
As guided by Canon Law, the priest appointed to the Office is to be known for his sound doctrine, integrity, prudence and practical experience (Canon 478 §1).
A further canon provides that the Vicar General possesses, by virtue of his Office, the same executive power as the Bishop throughout the whole diocese as belongs by law to the Bishop. This means that the Vicar General can perform all administrative acts as the Bishop does, with the exception of those administrative acts which the Bishop has reserved to himself, or which by law requires a special mandate of the Bishop (Canon 479 §1).
Archbishop Emeritus John Bathersby
Archbishop Emeritus John Bathersby
John Alexius Bathersby was born in Stanthorpe on 26th July, 1936, the son of John Thomas and Grace Maud (nee Conquest) Bathersby.
He has an older sister, Carmel, a younger brother, Michael, and two younger sisters, Suzanne and Anne.
His father was a shopkeeper and publican at the “Country Club Hotel” in Stanthorpe.
He did his primary schooling at St Joseph’s Stanthorpe, (1941 – 1950) and, for his secondary schooling, boarded at Nudgee College (1951 – 1954).
From school, he entered Pius XII Seminary, Banyo, to begin his training for the priesthood and, on completion of those studies (1955 – 1961), he was ordained in his home Parish of Stanthorpe by Bishop William Brennan on 30th June, 1961.
His first seven years as a Priest were spent as an Associate Pastor and Administrator at Goondiwindi before being sent to Rome for further studies in 1969 where he completed a licentiate in Theology at the Gregorian University, and a Diploma in Spirituality at the Terasianum University.
He was then appointed to Pius XII Seminary in Brisbane where he served as Spiritual Director for seven years before returning to Rome for a Doctorate in Theology / Spirituality in 1979. He returned to the Seminary until he was appointed Bishop of Cairns in 1986.
In 1986, Dr. Bathersby was ordained Bishop of Cairns by Archbishop Rush, whom he succeeded as Archbishop of Brisbane on 30th January, 1992.
Archbishop Bathersby is keenly involved in ecumenical affairs both nationally and internationally. He was a member of the International Catholic-Methodist Dialogue from 1989 -1995. He served as Co-Chairman of the Australian Catholic-Uniting Church Dialogue, concluding the co-chair role in 2009. In July 1997 he was appointed President of the National Council of Churches in Australia. He completed this appointment in July 2000. In January 2001 he was appointed Co-Chair of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission Working Group concluding this role in 2010.
With the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the Archbishop has served as Deputy President of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference 2000-2006, Chairman of the Bishops’ Committee for Justice, Development, Ecology and Peace 2000-2006, and Chairman of Catholic Earthcare Australia 2000-2004. He was formerly Chairman of the Bishops’ Commission for Mission and Faith Formation. He was also a member of the executive of the Confederation of Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania from 1991 to May 1994.
His interests include bushwalking, mountain climbing, watching sport and listening to classical music.
If he wished to boast, as St Paul did not, he would talk about riding a Vespa in Rome for six years, climbing Mt. Sinai, walking to the Stinson, and listening to Joan Sutherland in Rome, Buddy Holly in Brisbane, and the Beatles in Sydney.
In 2003 he hosted the second Brisbane Archdiocesan Synod, but the first to include the participation of lay people.
He retired in November 2011.
