Br Mark McKeon fsc

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference has announced the appointment of Br Mark McKeon fsc as the new Pastoral Director of the Holy Cross Seminary in Ponsonby, Auckland.

Br Mark has been a De La Salle Brother for 35 years in teaching ministry in Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. He has recently returned from Palestine, where he was training Bethlehem University student ambassadors, engaging with pilgrim groups to the university and with teacher formation in the De La Salle schools in the region.

NZCBC President, Bishop Patrick Dunn, said, Br Mark brings to this position extensive international experience as an educator and formator, together with a great humility and dedication to the wellbeing of others.’

Rector of Holy Cross Seminary, Fr Brendan Ward, said, ‘Br Mark brings a depth of knowledge and skill to the role that will greatly benefit the seminarians and staff formation team.”

From January 2018, Br Mark will oversee the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of practical pastoral experience, while students are both in the seminary and on pastoral placement outside of it during their formation for priesthood.

Holy Cross Seminary is the national seminary for the education and formation of diocesan priests for the Catholic Church in New Zealand and is located at 44 Vermont St, Ponsonby.