He enjoys spending his free time in the garden and caring for his chooks and is fascinated with history.

Through his appointment with the church, he is deeply connected to the community and passionate about helping those in need.

What is your earliest childhood memory?

“It was when my mother was in hospital having my sister and my grandparents moved into the family home to help look after us.

“It was breakfast time and my grandmother brought out the box of coco pops and set it on the table and out popped a mouse.

“I was most perterbed that my grandfather killed the mouse and my grandmother wouldn’t let me eat the coco pops.

“It wasn’t a good morning.”

How do you think childhood differs today from when you were a child?

“Technology, the most technological things I had as a child was the telephone and the TV.

“You spent a lot more time outside playing and doing, making and creating with your friends.”

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“I knew by the time I was in year eight in school that I wanted to be a priest.

“My family is not a religious or church going family, I just knew that I was going to be a priest.”

Who were your mentors when you were growing up?

“Both sets of my grandparents had a great influence on me, they were great mentors.

“People in the life of the church.

“I had a history teacher who inspired me about history and that is why I became a teacher.”

What were your initial impressions of Leeton?

“I had been in Coleambally which had about 600 people living in it so I thought Leeton was a big town.”

What do you think makes Leeton unique?

“I think it’s the people and the sense of community.

“Its large enough to have everything you need for everyday life, but small enough where people are concerned and care for each other.

“There is a sense of community.”