Ministry District:  Ballarat East, Bungaree and Gordon Parishes

From April 10th, Bishop Paul has appointed Fr Matt Restall and I to the parishes of Ballarat East, Bungaree and Gordon, forming a Ministry District across our three parishes and the eight local Church and School communities of Ballan, Ballarat East, Bungaree, Buninyong, Clarke’s Hill, Dunnstown, Gordon and Springbank. We will work with Cathy Prunty, Natalie Shannon  and Bernadette Prestwood in the Ballarat East Office and Aileen Toohey in the Bungaree and Gordon Parish Offices as well as the Principals of our Catholic Schools – Troy Strybosch (St Joseph’s Bakery Hill), Jayne Bosworth (St Brigid’s Ballan), Emily Clarke (St Alipius’ Ballarat East), Mark Hogbin (St Francis Xavier Ballarat East), Clare Scanlon (St Mary’s Clarke’s Hill), Paul McDowell (St Patrick’s Gordon), Ethan Corfee (Emmaus Mt Clear) and Steven Mifsud (Damascus Mt Clear and Dunnstown). In the Diocese of Ballarat, a Ministry district is the term used in our pastoral planning document Looking Forward, to describe the sharing of resources between parishes, with the aim of working in collaboration to further the mission of Christ that has been entrusted to the Church. Our emphasis and focus is on mission, looking forward, outward, with the joy of the Gospel.

In this next chapter, our new Ministry district provides us all with an opportunity to exercise genuine synodality, that is, walking together in faith, building a culture of encounter and accompaniment, discerning the  way forward by genuine dialogue, listening to each other with prayerful openness to the Holy Spirit.

I look forward to walking with you as a pilgrim in faith, together as servants of the Gospel, joyful missionary disciples.

Fr Justin Driscoll

Team Members
Shane Carey
Joan Bourke
Brendan Maher
Jim Leahy
Mark Conlan
Paul McDowell (St Patrick’s Primary School Principal)
Jayne Bosworth (St Brigid’s Primary School Principal)