Bishop Christopher Charles Prowse

Bishop Christopher Prowse is the Titular Bishop of Bahanna and Auxiliary Bishop in the Western Region of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Curriculum Vitae

Family

• Third of six children to Frank (Deceased) and Marian (nee Atkinson) Prowse
• One elder brother and four sisters.
• Born Christopher Charles Prowse on 14th November 1953 at East Melbourne (Mena House/Clivedon Private Hospital)

Family Background

• Father: Frank (R.I.P. 1999) Catholic from Middle Park. A mechanical engineer and last of ten children. Played in the Victorian Football League as a Ruckman for Hawthorn (1948-1951, 44 games for Hawthorn and 4 for South Melbourne)
• Mother: Catholic from Hawthorn. Only child. Marian worked in the Public Service (Note Distribution Centre, East Melbourne – currently the Australian Catholic University)
• Parents married for 50 years. Family lived at Blackburn.
• Family parish: St. Francis Xavier, Box Hill.

Education
Rev. Dr. Christopher Prowse BA, B.Theol., STL(Gregorian), STD(Lateran)

• Primary education at parish school, St.Francis Xavier, Box Hill (1959-1961)
• Upper Primary and Secondary School at St. Leo’s, Christian Brothers School, Box Hill.(1962-1971)
• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Monash University (1978)
• Bachelor of Theology (B.Theol.) from the Melbourne College of Divinity (Catholic Theological College)1979.
• Licentiate in Moral Theology (STL) from the Gregorian University, Rome 1985-1987
• Doctorate in Moral Theology (STD) from the Lateran University (Alphonsianum) 1993-1995. Topic involved consideration of racist attitudes towards Aboriginal Australians in the light of the social dimensions of sin and conversion in recent Catholic theology.

Background

• Altar Server, St.Francis Xavier Parish, Box Hill (1965-1968)
• Drama and Impromptu Speaking prizes (1970-1971) St. Leo’s College, Box Hill
• School Captain (1971) of St. Leo’s College, Box Hill.
• Entered Corpus Christi College Seminary 1972.
• Ordained Diocesan Priest for the Archdiocese of Melbourne 16th August 1980 byArchbishop Sir Frank Little.
• Current Pastimes: Sports – Swimming, Cycling, Walking: Reading and listening to music.
• AFL football team – Hawthorn.

Appointments

• Deacon – St.John the Evangelist, Mitcham (1979-1980)
• Assistant Priest – St.Mary of the Angels, Geelong (Jan.1981-1983)
• Assistant Priest – St.Monica’s, Moonee Ponds (1984-1985)
• Diocesan Vocations’ Director (1984-1985)
• (Rome, 29th May 1985 - 22nd December 1987)
• Priest in Residence – St.Mary’s, Thornbury (1988-1993) and Lecturer in Moral Theology at Catholic Theology College, Clayton.
• (Rome, 3rd. October 1993 - 2 December 1995)
• Parish Priest: Holy Spirit Parish, East Thornbury, 24th January 1996 -September 2001 and Lecturer in Moral Theology, Catholic Theological College, Clayton and East Melbourne.
• Appointed Director of the Catholic Pastoral Formation Centre (August 1997 – August 2001)
• Media Spokesman (1999- )
• Appointed Assistant to the Diocesan Administrator (Bishop Hart) May-July 2001.
• Appointed Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, August 2001.
• Appointed Chaplain of His Holiness, 6th October 2001
• Appointed Episcopal Vicar for Justice and Social Services, 4 October 2007

Major Committees.

• Melbourne Senate of Priests
• Consultor, College of Consultors of the Melbourne Archdiocese
• Moderator of the Curia, Archdiocese of Melbourne
• Chairman, Archdiocesan Committee for Mission
• Deputy Chairman, Diocesan Extension and Maintenance Fund
• Deputy Chairman, Diocesan Finance Council
• Secretary, Roman Catholic Trust Corporation for the Archdiocese of Melbourne
• Chairman, Committee for New Areas in the Archdiocese
• Nominee of the Archbishop of Melbourne on the Committee of Catholic Capital Grants
• Secretary, Archbishop’s Personnel Advisory Board
• Chairman, World Youth Day Melbourne Office Project Control Group

On 4th April 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.