Vicar:  Fr Gerald Loos

I was born in Sri Lanka and received my primary and secondary education at St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia. I trained for ministry at the Theological College of Lanka and was ordained as a deacon in 1988 and as a priest in 1989.

During my time in Sri Lanka, I served in several parishes such as Nuwara Eliya, and Bandarawela. I had the privilege of serving as chaplain to two bishops in the Diocese of Colombo, which further strengthened my pastoral ministry and church leadership

In 1997, I migrated to Australia and continued my ministry in the Diocese of Ballarat. Over the years, I have been involved in several diocesan leadership roles, including as a member of the Liturgical Committee, the Ministry Development Committee, and the Bishop in Council.

For 15 years I was a hospital chaplain, where for 7 years I had the hour of being the Hospital Chaplaincy Coordinator. In 2009,  I was appointed as a Police Chaplain in the Ballarat region, and received the Police Service Award in 2019. I have also been an Emergency Chaplain with the Victorian Council of Churches for over 16 years.

In 2016 we moved to Noble Park where I was the parish priest. During my time at St. Aidan’s I was involved in offering pastoral care to the nearby nursing homes and age care centers, I also founded strong relationships with other religions and parishes in the surrounding area. The biggest accomplishment was being able to have other faith leaders and their communities  to be able to come together as one congregation to  worship and pray at the Easter bombings service on 28 April 2019, where over 450 attended.

My ministry has always included a strong commitment to community engagement and multiculturalism. While in Ballarat I served on the advisory committee to the City of Ballarat on multicultural affairs, and I was a member of both the Ballarat Regional Multicultural Committee and NESBLinks (Non-English-Speaking Backgrounds). Here in Melbourne, I am a member of the Dandenong Interfaith community.

Academically, I hold a Bachelor of Theology, a Bachelor of Divinity, and a Master of Theology. I am a member of the Society of the Holy Cross (SSC) and a Priest Associate of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. I have a particular interest in social justice and interfaith dialogue; I enjoy leading Quiet Days and Retreats and am passionate about nurturing Basic Christian Communities as expressions of spiritual depth and lay participation in the life of the Church.