Important Message for the Parishioners of the Diocese of Toowoomba
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Ken Howell, currently an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Brisbane, as the seventh Bishop of the Diocese of Toowoomba. Pope Francis made the official announcement in Rome at noon (8:00 pm local time) on Wednesday, 24 May 2023. The appointment follows the retirement of Bishop Robert McGuckin, who has served the Toowoomba Diocese since his Episcopal Ordination on 11 July 2012.
Horizons, published by us, is our own quarterly magazine. It’s full colour and available for free across the Diocese. Horizons is an important method of communication and outreach to parishioners and the wider community. It features stories of events and projects from local parishes as well as information about ministry and services offered by Diocesan Agencies.
2022 was a year filled with anticipation as we watched the changing landscape of Downlands College give way to new vistas. It was, at times, difficult to imagine how the final outcome would be realised, but as the 2023 school year commenced, we were amazed at how seamlessly the 92-year-old foundations of Downlands College have meshed with the beautiful designs of the new Junior School precinct.
Read more about what’s going on at Downlands College Toowoomba on page 15
In the Roman Catholic section of the Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery is a large but simple plot that marks the resting place of six women from very different eras but with a significant connection: they are all nuns from the religious order of the Sisters of Charity.
Read more about the Sisters of Charity on page 8
Members of Toowoomba’s Syrian community recently joined with parishioners from St Anthony’s Toowoomba for Sunday Mass. The gathering came about as a show of support following the devastating earthquakes that had occurred in Turkey and Syria on 6 February.
Read more about multicultural events at St Anthony’s Toowoomba on page 20
Bishop Robert McGuckin was born in 1944 in Marrickville, Sydney. His parents John and Gladys are now both deceased, as is one of his four siblings. His family comprises his eldest sister Janice, his elder brother Edward and his younger brother Patrick and their children.
The Bishop received his early education at St Pius Primary School in Enmore and later at De La Salle College in Marrickville.
After he left school, the family moved to Jannali in Sutherland shire where he became a foundation member of the Como-Oyster Bay-Jannali Catholic Youth Organisation. He worked for several years in banking before entering the seminary at Saint Columba’s College in Springwood in 1967 and then to Saint Patrick’s College in Manly as a candidate for ordination for the Archdiocese of Sydney and was duly ordained in 1973 by Archbishop James Carroll.
The Bishop’s Coat of Arms
The Bishop’s Coat of Arms traditionally consists of two halves. The left half is the crest of the Diocese, the right, of the Bishop himself.
