Sydney’s newest Catholic priests come from all walks of life

Sydney Archdiocese has ordained five new priests with wide and varied backgrounds. They tell what spurred them to devote their life to the Church.

They are the new face of the Catholic Church — a fresh generation of priests who are going from high-viz to holy vestments.

And it comes as Sydney Archdiocese looks to tackle modern issues like cyber-bullying to stay relevant to young people.

The new priests include 32-year-old Bijoy Joseph, who was working in Sydney as an environmental engineer when he felt a “deeper calling” pulling him to the priesthood.

Now he is hoping to bring a new perspective to the church.

Mark Anderson, Bijoy Joseph, Adrian Simmons, Ben Saliba and Ben Gandy at their ordination on Saturday.

“We see the benefits of technology because we’ve lived with technology … we are tech-savvy, but at the same time we can see the burdens it can bring,” Deacon Joseph said.

“Having gone through our own struggles with technology, like doom scrolling and the normal addictions you face with social media and the search for affirmation through likes – yeah, we’ve experienced that, so I hope we can preach to young people that through the Church the message of Jesus Christ still resounds in a modern society.”

Bijoy Joseph had a successful career as an environmental engineer.

Also joining up are former music teacher Ben Gandy, former sales worker Ben Saliba, former risk management officer at David Jones Adrian Simmons and former mining tradie Mark Anderson.

All have been concerned about technology and how it is impacting their congregations.

“Whilst advances in technology have helped us throughout the pandemic, I see a continuing trend of abuse of social media among young people,” Deacon Saliba told The Catholic Weekly.

“We need to help them think critically and ask more questions.”

Mark Anderson left a life in the mines to become a priest.

Deacon Anderson, 41, said he felt a calling to the priesthood after returning to Sydney from the mines.

He said while the Catholic Church had taken a hit following the Royal Commission into sexual abuse, he hoped that by pursuing the calling he felt from God, he could become a force for good in the wake of so much hurt.

“It was such a huge event in the Church, the Royal Commission, and it really hurt a lot of the faithful — and I would number myself among them,” he said.

“I guess there was this strong sense in me that we had been let down so horribly by some people but that the Church is not characterised by its sinners, it’s characterised by its saints.”

“I was thinking unless you have good people say yes, nothing’s ever going to improve.”

New priest Ben Saliba used to work in customer service.

He also told The Catholic Weekly that society moving away from religion is an ongoing issue.

“I think a significant challenge that the Church in Australia faces is engaging with entrenched secular attitudes like: ‘It doesn’t matter what one believes, as long as one is a good person,’ he said.

“Attitudes like this … have the effect of watering down the Gospel and killing the motivation to grow in virtue.

“What we believe matters, and it matters for eternity.

“Another significant challenge to ministry is the secular assumption that the world in which we live is all that there is.

Ben Gandy on his graduation day at Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Adrian Simmons was a risk management officer at David Jones.

“A challenge that the Australian Church faces, its clergy and laity, is being able to reach the average Australian and offer them something that is true, good, and beautiful, which can be readily received.”

The new priests were ordained in a ceremony at St Marys Cathedral on Saturday after more than seven years of intense study and prayer.

The “training” included silent retreats of as long as 30 days at a time of quiet reflection and prayer.

The men will now be sent as assistant priests to parishes across the Sydney Archdiocese.

Got a news tip? Email [e-mail]