Parish Clergy
Past Clergy
Father Sean Cullen - at Camden from 1986-1988 - moved and served at St Francis Xavier's Cathedral for many years almost entirely as administrator and dean, and since 2002 has been parish priest of Bowral and Mittagong.
Father Leo Duck - at Camden from 1988-1990 - moved on to a variety of assignments throughout the diocese and studied spiritual theology for two years in Rome. He has been assigned since 2002 to the parochial district of Vincentia in the parish of Nowra.
Father Mark O'Keefe - at Camden from 1991-1992 - moved to take up positions at Wollongong and Gwynneville and then as parish priest, firstly at Ruse and then at Unanderra since 1997.
Father David Catterall - at Camden in 2001 - moved around the diocese in Nowra, Shellharbour and Rosemeadow, before being assigned as parish priest of Albion Park in 2006.
Father Mark De Battista - at Camden from 2007-2010 - has travelled to Rome to undertake four years of study in Sacred Scripture which includes studies in Aramaic, ancient Greek and Hebrew.
Other priests still working who have exercised their priestly office in Camden include Father Peter Carvana (now PP Ingleburn) Father David O'Brien (now PP West Wollongong) Father Alan Hartcher (now PP Riverside, Tasmania), and Father Damien Ellis (now assisting at Kiama).
Present Clergy
Father John Whitty - Pastor Emeritus
Father Whitty has lived a blessed life with wonderful parents and sisters. His childhood was lived at a time when family members needed to pull together. Father was taught by the nuns and brothers, and only one lay teacher. Over this period of time, the Church, Sunday Mass and family prayer were central.
Father Whitty left school in 1955 and for two-and-a-half years worked as a telephone technician. In 1958 he entered the seminary for the Franciscans in the first instance, but in 1961, moved to St Columba's to study as a diocesan priest for the Diocese of Wollongong. Father was ordained on 7 December 1968.
For the first ten years of his priesthood, he was in parishes on the coast, mainly six years at Bulli. He arrived in Camden as administrator on 28 June 1977, though Monsignor Fahy was still the parish priest. Father Whitty became parish priest the following year.
Father Whitty continues to visit the children each Wednesday in their classes at St Paul's school, a practice that has stretched for over 30 years. Only recently at the petrol station a young dad was filling up his car with petrol. He said hello to Father Whitty and mentioned that he still remembers his visits to the classroom when he was at school, even relaying a story that Father Whitty had shared. Father's prayers are often offered for the children in our Catholic schools that their lives will be as blessed for them as they have been for him.
The parish of Camden was very small compared to the present day. Monsignor Fahy had 600 families on his books. He knew most of his people by name. Since then the parish has grown.
During this time the support of Bishop Murray was crucial. He supported parish loans and the parish purchases of land. The crucial support of many parishioners was also very necessary. Their talents provided the wherewithal, the scope, the planning and the beauty of the Church.
Their talents were essential. Father Whitty modestly acknowledges that his “bit" was to discern when agreement was reached, and to simply say “yes".
Father Michael Williams - Parish Priest
Born in Sydney, Father Michael went to school at St Bernadette's Lalor Park, St Joseph's Belmore and St Patrick's Strathfield, owing much to the Sisters of St Joseph and to the Christian Brothers.
Upon completing school, he attended two of the great sandstone institutions in Sydney - the University of Sydney and (as it was then) St Patrick's Seminary, Manly. From 1985 to 1988, Michael worked for the NSW Chamber of Commerce and then for two years as an economist for the Westpac Banking Corporation.
Michael was ordained a deacon in 1988, and a priest in 1989. He worked in Nowra for six years, West Wollongong for eight years, and has been parish priest at St Paul's Camden since new year's day 2003.
His interests include the church, sacred music, current affairs, finance, rugby, rugby league, golf, cricket, Aussie Rules and tennis. He takes a passing interest in many other sports.
As a younger man, Father Michael played rugby until the age of 30 and cricket until entering the seminary as a 21 year old. He continues to play golf at his home club of Camden Lakeside which is a beautiful quintessentially Macarthur course designed by the legendary Peter Thompson.
Father Michael loves Australian culture though laments that religious practice and moral values are not somewhat stronger. He has a keen interest in personal fitness though far less a dedicated commitment.
As a priest of over 20 years, he looks back upon a three-month Vatican II sabbatical programme in 2002 in the beautiful grounds of the Archdiocesan Seminary of San Francisco as a standout experience - a real highlight.
Fr Richard Healey - Assistant Priest
Fr Richard Healey joined the Diocese of Wollongong at the beginning of 2005. The first five years were spent in the Nowra parish, as a seminarian, deacon and priest, being ordained deacon in December 2005 and priest in June 2006. In July 2010 he was appointed to Fairy Meadow parish as an assistant priest to the new Lumen Christi pastoral region in Wollongong. The youngest of five children (two sisters and two brothers) Richard grew up on the far south coast of NSW on a farm north of Bega.
All his siblings are married and between them have 17 children; his parents celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 2010. After school, Richard completed a degree in economics at Sydney University, before working in University ministry as part of a lay Catholic community, and beginning studies in theology at St Patrick’s College, Manly and Good Shepherd Seminary, Homebush. He also spent four years with the Discalced Carmelites and worked in the area of media and communications for the Archdiocese of Sydney.
Richard looks after the Diocesan website, several other parish and national websites, has helped to prepare the Lenten Program, is a member of the Vocations Team and Vocations Director, the Council of Priests, the chair of the Youth Council and is the Youth Chaplain for the Diocese of Wollongong. Additionally he is a member of the National World Youth Day Committee and Proclaim 2012 committee, both works of the ACBC. Since November 2008, Richard has also published a website (http://www.rmh.id.au) and blog / podcast (http://frrick.blogspot.com) of his weekly homilies, which is available on iTunes. The audio recordings of his homilies have received more than 200,000 downloads.
