Introducing Bishop Chris Toohey
Bishop Chris Toohey is a world leader in Catholic awareness and action on the environment. He comes to the UK this September and his visit culminates in launch of Sound of Many Waters. Here we learn a little more about him.
Inspiration behind Sound of Many Waters, Mary Colwell said, “Bishop Chris is a passionate and engaging speaker. His concern is grounded in theological reflection. His visit will be a wonderful opportunity to share his experiences of bringing together Catholicism and the environmental movement.”
Most Reverend Chris Toohey is Bishop of Wilcannia-Forbes, Australia. Born in Sydney in 1952 he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Sydney in 1982. He was ordained Bishop on 30 August 2001.
Ironically for the man launching Sound of Many Waters, before priesthood he worked as a shipping agent on the Sydney waterfront.
From 1990 to 1992 he completed post graduate studies at the Gregorian University in Rome, specialising in fundamental theology. His thesis dealt with the humanity of Christ in the writings of John Henry Newman.
The Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes covers the western half of New South Wales and is almost the same area as France. It covers the “Outback” and includes a large aboriginal population.
Bishop Chris said, “Environmentally, the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes is fascinating. It includes Australia’s largest river system - the Murray Darling Basin. At the moment we are in the grip of drought, which people here tell me is unprecedented.”
In 2002 he was elected Chair of the newly established Catholic Earthcare Australia. This was the response of the Australian bishops to Pope John Paul II’s call for an “ecological conversion”.
At launch of Sound of Many Waters on Saturday 29 September at 6.00 pm in Clifton Cathedral, Bishop Chris promises to give us a robust account of the ecological challenges we face and how faith can help us tackle them.
