Hawke’s Bay man ordained in Melbourne

Fr Patrick Bradford

by NZ CATHOLIC staff
Southern Hawke’s Bay man Patrick Bradford was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Denis Hart of Melbourne on September 12.

Fr Patrick Bradford

Fr Patrick Bradford


Fr Bradford grew up in Takapau, where his parents were farm managers for the Cistercian monks of Southern Star Abbey.
After ordination, Fr Bradford visited Taranaki, where he celebrated Mass at his old school, Francis Douglas Memorial College. He also celebrated Mass at another former parish, St Joseph’s, Waitara.
After leaving school, Fr Bradford completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Victoria University, Wellington. He then moved to Melbourne and worked in accounting.
At about 22 years of age, he entered the seminary.
He has been given a parish in Mordialloc in Melbourne, which has 1000 parishioners and two schools, which combined have about 1000 pupils.
“We’re like vanilla priests — plain, ordinary, nothing special, but still taste good. So that’s what I signed up for. But I also made a promise of obedience so I could be asked to do lots of different jobs,” he said Those could
include hospital chaplaincy or ministry in a prison or a high school.

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