Sr. Shelley Barlow, RNDM

Sr Shelley Barlow is a teacher and bridge-builder who has worked in the challenging settings of faith-formation for over twenty years. Shelley’s zest for her work is sparked by her missionary charism as a Sister of Our Lady of the Missions, and by her deep and abiding interest in the universal yearning for wholeness. Shelley has a Bachelor of Theology from Melbourne College of Divinity, and Masters degrees in Pastoral Ministry and Religious Education from Boston College, USA.

Dr Carmel Suart

Carmel has been a consultant for the Catechist Service Team at the Catholic Education Office of WA for 22 years where she has been involved in many aspects of adult faith formation and religious education of children.
Her main area of expertise is family catechesis.
This work has taken her into parishes and dioceses across, where she has worked with parent groups, teachers, catechists, priests and bishops in devising strategies to assist communities support families in nurturing the faith of children within the context of family life.
Carmel has a background in primary teaching, holding a Bachelor of Education degree and a Masters in Religious Education, both from Edith Cowan University. In 2007 she completed her doctoral studies at the University of Notre Dame Australia in the area of family catechesis: an area which has always been very dear to her. The study explored the ways faith is nurtured within the context of the home and uncovered the challenges to nurturing faith faced by parents, especially mothers.
Carmel is married, has two daughters and a son.

Dr Margaret Scharf, OP

Dr Margaret Scharf is a member of the Dominican Sisters of WA and is currently the director of the Dominican Institute for Spirituality. Recently returned to Perth after 17 years in the United States, she is a Retreat guide and spiritual director, including the formation of Spiritual directors, and presenter of adult faith formation programmes to parish groups and school staff. Her past ministries include primary education and administration, Motor Mission, and training of catechists in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. She has a D.Min in Spiritual Direction (GTF, Indiana), MA in Spirituality (Gonzaga University), M.Ed in Religious Studies (ECU Perth), and a GDA Intercultural Studies-Aboriginal(ECU Perth). With publications in Australia and the USA, she continues to compose liturgical music.

Bishop Donald Sproxton VG

Bishop Sproxton was elected by Pope John Paul II to the episcopacy in December 2001 and ordained a bishop on 21 February 2002 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth by Archbishop Hickey. The co-consecrators were Bishop Justin Bianchini of Geraldton and Bishop Robert Healy, Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop of Perth.

In 2016 Bishop Sproxton was elected Episcopal Vicar for Adult Faith Formation and Parish Renewal for the Archdiocese of Perth by Archbishop Costelloe.

Within the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference, Bishop Sproxton is a member of the Bishops’ Commission for Relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and is Chairman of the Bishops’ Commission for Health and Community Services. Within the Archdiocese of Perth, the Bishop is Chairman of LifeLink and the Advisory Board for the Schools of Philosophy and Theology (Notre Dame University, Fremantle), a member of the Council of Priests, Archdiocesan Finance Council, the Catholic Education Commission, the Committee for Family and for Life, Catholic Youth Council, St John of God Healthcare and the Committee for Clergy Formation & Support. He is also a member of the Association of Heads of Churches.

Mr Joe Tedesco

Though originally schooled in Computer and Information Science, completing a Bachelor of Science degree in 1998, Joe Tedesco turned to theological studies soon after, completing bachelor and masters level degrees in theology from UNDA and Murdoch University. These studies focused on various areas of theology including theological anthropology and biblical theology. While studying, Joe was involved in various ministry programs that allowed him to exercise his passion in faith formation aimed primarily at youth and young adults – presenting various talks and seminars at conferences and in parish settings. More recently, Joe has been involved in teaching introductory level theology at the University of Notre Dame to students of various ages and backgrounds, something he has now been involved in for 10 years. Currently he is also working on a thesis focusing on ‘Wisdom Literature’ and its relationship to moral theology. Along with his wife of 16 years and two young children, his life remains very vibrant and full.

Mr Brendan McKeague

Brendan was raised in the ‘troubled’ North of Ireland where he was deeply embedded in a culture of violence, religious discrimination and social injustice. He has been actively engaged in learning how to be present with conflict and injustice in a more nonviolent, peaceful and transformative way. Alongside the development of skills and insights in support of his professional work as a facilitator and educator, Brendan has also been grounded in the everyday surprises and challenges of family life. Brendan is part of the international Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service and a founding member of Pace e Bene Australia.

Mr Brendan McKeague

Brendan was raised in the ‘troubled’ North of Ireland where he was deeply embedded in a culture of violence, religious discrimination and social injustice. He has been actively engaged in learning how to be present with conflict and injustice in a more nonviolent, peaceful and transformative way. Alongside the development of skills and insights in support of his professional work as a facilitator and educator, Brendan has also been grounded in the everyday surprises and challenges of family life. Brendan is part of the international Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service and a founding member of Pace e Bene Australia.

Rev. Dr Charles Waddell

Fr Charles is a priest of the Archdiocese of Perth. He has recently published Jesus Matters (St Paul’s Publications). Fr Charles holds a PhD (USA) and an STL (Rome). He shares his life with a blind dog named Prego.

Dr Marco Ceccarelli

Dr Marco Ceccarelli is the Director of the Centre for Faith Enrichment – the adult faith formation agency of the Archdiocese of Perth. Marco teaches Church History at the University of Notre Dame Australia and has taught European history, literature and culture at The University of Western Australia. He holds a PhD on Catholic intellectual responses to terrorism. His research interests include Church history, Catholic social doctrine, interfaith dialogue, Catholic political thought, Jesuit scholarship, history of modern Europe, Western philosophy and literature.
A former Journalist and Assistant Editor for the Archdiocesan Communications Office, Marco is dedicated to promoting the Gospel values of human dignity, freedom and peace.

Dr Pina Ford

Dr Pina Ford is team leader of the Catechist Formation Program, run by the Catholic Education Office (CEO) of Western Australia.The mother of seven and graduate from The University of Western Australia with a PhD on the natural law context of Thomas More’s Utopia, co-ordinates a program that equips volunteers engaged in the religious education of Catholic children outside the Catholic school system.