New leadership at the Catholic Enquiry Centre

Following the announcement that Fr Allan would end his term and after some reflection it was decided to split the role into a part-time Chaplain, responsible for supporting enquirers spiritually and pastorally and for connecting CEC with the wider Catholic community; and a full-time Director, responsible for the overall operations of CEC.

“The Bishops are grateful to Fr Neil Vaney SM, Vicar Provincial for the Society of Mary, and to the Society, for agreeing to take on the Chaplain role from early next year. Fr Neil brings with him significant experience in and commitment to the work of evangelisation, with a particular gift in enabling young people to hear and respond to the call to faith. He is also a noted moral theologian, with a deep interest in the theology of nature and environmental ethics,” said Bishop Patrick Dunn, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.

“The Director role has proved harder to fill and as such the Bishops are grateful to David Mullin who has agreed to be seconded from his work in the Palmerston North Diocese to act as Director until March 2017. David is a member of the CEC Board, and will bring a wide range of business and management skills to the role, along with considerable knowledge about and commitment to the work of CEC,” said Bishop Patrick.

“We are sincerely grateful to Fr Allan for his leadership of the Centre through a time of considerable change. He has responded with characteristic generosity and patience to the extended process of replacing him, and remained focused on CEC’s vital work of invitation and introduction,” said Bishop Patrick.

[David will begin on Monday 17 October, in a half-time capacity. Fr Allan’s last day as Director on Friday 28 October.]

The Catholic Enquiry Centre (CEC) promotes the beliefs and practices of the Catholic Faith. Based in Wellington since 1961, the CEC is an agency of the Catholic Bishops of New Zealand, and is supported spiritually and financially by Catholics throughout the country.

CEC invites people – via TV, online advertising, social media – to enquire about the Catholic Faith and we respond to enquirers by means of printed booklets introducing the essential aspects of faith.
www.catholicenquiry.org.nz/