Rosie is a Brigidine Sister whose background was in Primary and Secondary Education and was the Principal of four different Victorian Secondary Schools. She then studied overseas to gain the necessary pontifical qualifications in canon law which have enabled her to work in the area of church law and to promote a pastoral approach to its application in the Catholic Church. It is with this wide experience that Rosie is able to bring to her ministries today.
Over the years Rosie has studied at six different universities. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from Monash University, a Masters degree in Educational Administration from the University of New England, and a Graduate Certificate in Education (Religious Education) from the Australian Catholic University. She was awarded a Masters degree in Canon Law from the University of Ottawa, Canada and a Licentiate in Canon Law from the University of Saint Paul, Ottawa, Canada. Her PhD is from the University of Divinity.
Rosie’s research and an area of great interest for her is Congregations of Women Religious and their members, their present ministries and lifestyles, and how they perceive their relationship with the official Catholic Church today. Not surprisingly, her PhD thesis was titled The Understanding and Practice of Authority and Obedience by a Selected Group of Women Religious: An Australian Study. Rosie has also spent many years in leadership in her own congregation and during this time was the President of Catholic Religious Australia, the peak body representing the Congregations of Women and Men in Australia.
For many years, Rosie has lectured in canon law at Yarra Theological Union and is currently Head of Department D: Theology: Mission and Ministry. Last year she organised two very successful and well attended weekend seminars at Yarra Theological Union, namely Principles and Practice of Church Governance and Voices of Challenge and Hope where issues pertinent to all working in today’s church were discussed.
Rosie also works for the Marriage Tribunal and is a Judge for the Tribunal of the Catholic Church (Victoria & Tasmania) and a Judge for the Appeal Tribunal of Australia and New Zealand. She is a consultant for Religious Congregations on canonical issues and is on several Boards and Committees for different Congregations of women and men.
The fostering of the life of a parish community is important for Rosie and she has spent many years serving in different roles in her local parish, namely a member of the Parish Pastoral Team, Special Minister of the Eucharist, Reader, Commentator, etc. She is also a supporter of the Brigidine Asylum Seekers’ Project which works to provide hospitality and practical support for people seeking asylum and promotes advocacy for the rights of those seeking asylum.