Brian Austin
Brian joined the Commission in 2006. He is a parishioner at St Peter’s, Leamington Spa, where he is currently establishing a regular monthly parish Justice and Peace meeting with a view to keeping the parish informed on current issues and up-to-date on action being taken, so that parishioners can make informed decisions as to how they can participate. In the Parish he has been involved over the years with St Peter’s Aid for the Needy (SPAN) and was their Chairperson for a time; he was also instrumental in re-establishing a regular monthly Traidcraft stall, which has now resulted in St Peter’s becoming a FairTrade Parish. Locally he has been active in ‘One World Link’, a frieTeacher, but previously worked in industry for 20 years as a production and inventory control specialist. He has been a life-long member of The Christian Life Community.
Brian Davies
Brian was a member of the Commission in the 1970s until about 1983 when a full-time fieldworker was employed. He rejoined the Commission in 2001. Since returning to the Commission Brian has organised a number of Deanery J&P Days around the diocese.
Before his retirement Brian was Head of Education at CAFOD and then managed the National J&P Network's training programme. He has had material published mainly on Catholic Social Teaching and J&P methodology.
Ann Farr
Ann was a member of the JP commission in the 1970s and rejoined the Commission in 2006
She has been a Cafod education volunteer since the development of their education department and was a member of CAFOD’s schools’ advisory team for a number of years.
Promoting justice and peace issues and providing educational resources within the Coventry area with schools, churches and justice and peace groups has been a major priority.
Ann taught RE and English in a Catholic Girls’ Secondary Modern School and a mixed Comprehensive School for many years. She later specialised in the teaching of children with Special Educational Needs in the mainstream and then worked as the Secondary Schools’ member of the Local Authority Special Educational Needs Support Team offering In-Service Training for teachers.
For the last five years Ann has been the part-time Trade Justice Education Worker for the National Board of Catholic Women in the Birmingham Archdiocese.
She is the Coventry Deanery Cafod Volunteer, chair of Coventry City Fairtrade Steering Group, a member of the Chapel of Unity Commission and a member of Pax Christi’s Executive Committee. Two recent visits to Palestine to meet Pax Christi’s partner peace groups have resulted in work with schools and adult groups to raise awareness and promote related peace action.
Rev Deacon Patrick J Jeary sfo
Pat was appointed to the Commission late 2006 as Deacon’s rep, to act as a link between the Commission and the 78 deacons in the Archdiocese (plus those in training).
He taught for 31 years in a Catholic Comprehensive School the last 28 working with children with special education needs. He was Diocesan Deacon Delegate to the National Conference of Diaconate Directors & Deacon Delegates in the late 90’s.
Pat was his parish CAFOD contact for many years.
He has been a professed Franciscan, member of the Secular Franciscan Order for some 40 years, holding office at both at national council and regional level. During the 80’s he was involved with Franciscans for J&P.
One initiative Pat helped to organised with FMM sisters, was an Interfaith Peace Prayer Meeting in Coventry, on the World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi, 27 October 1986, to which Pope John Paul II invited the World Leaders of All Faiths. Some 16 Christian and other Faith Leaders lead the Prayer, each lighting a candle for peace using the text of the Pope’s service in Assisi. Over 500 people of all faiths attended.
Bishop William Kenney
Bishop Kenney was ordained bishop on 24 August 1987 and appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the diocese of Stockholm and Vicar General. One of his major concerns has been to build up the Caritas organisation of the diocese. In 1988 Bishop of Kenney was awarded an honorary doctorate of Philosophy at the University of Gothenburg for his work in internationalising studies at the university and for his work among immigrant students.
Bishop Kenney returned to the Birmingham Diocese in December 2006 as Area Bishop for Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Coventry.
He represents the Archbishop on the Birmingham Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission, using his vast experience in justice and peace internationally to inform and advise the Commission
Helen Moseley
Helen is the CAFOD Birmingham Diocesan Manager and represents CAFOD on the Commission. Helen started in this post in August 2004, after previously working for Christian Aid. Helen works from the CAFOD diocesan office in Walsall, with two CAFOD Diocesan Officers, Julia Hood and Alison Ahmad. A large part of Helen's role is supporting and managing a team of 19 Key Volunteers, who represent CAFOD around the Archdiocese in many ways, such as visiting schools to give assemblies and giving talks in parishes about global justice and CAFOD's work.
Helen's passion for development work began with a placement in Malawi in 1997, and she had the privilege of visiting CAFOD-supported programmes in Ethiopia in 2005.
Fr Gerry Murray - Chair of the Commission
Fr Gerry became Parish priest at our Lady of the Wayside in 1991 after the death of Fr Paddy O’Mahony. Fr Paddy was a well known figure in Justice and Peace circles in the diocese, nationally and beyond. He had been very active in his studies, writing and practical activity in the areas of human rights, ethical investment and development issues since the early 1960s. With his parishioners, Fr Gerry has sought to maintain and develop the long standing Justice and Peace tradition of the parish in its life and liturgy. The parish has an active Amnesty Group – the first church based group in the country and the Fr O’Mahony Memorial Trust was formed in 1995 to support development projects in many parts of the world.
Before Shirley, Fr Gerry was chaplain at Coventry Polytechnic (now University) 1983-91. He has always been interested in history, politics and international affairs. He specialised in Spirituality as part of his priestly training in Rome. He was asked to take over responsibility for the Justice and Peace Commission in succession to Fr David Oakley who did much to develop Justice and Peace work in the diocese and especially to implement an ethical investment policy on the foundations laid by Fr O’Mahony. Fr Gerry attends regular meetings of the Diocesan Finance Committee to monitor and develop this policy.
Derek Smith
Emeritus Professor, University of Birmingham (retired)
Derek has been a member of the Diocesan Commission for over 10 years.
Derek has been involved in Justice and Peace as a Group chairman for about 25 years, 10 years as a parishioner at St. Dunstans, Kings Heath, Birmingham, with the much appreciated encouragement of the late Canon Eugene O'Sullivan. Since 1991 Derek has been active in Justice and Peace at St. Wulstan and St. Thomas of Canterbury, Parish in Stourport, Worcestershire.
Both the Justice and Peace groups Derek has been involved with have been based on a Catholic initiative but have then become entirely ecumenical including Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists and Quakers in their activities. The Stourport Group is now jointly organised with representatives of the other denominations and has recently played a major role in the achievement of Fairtrade status for the town.
David Jenkins
Appointed as part-time Administrator to the Commission from 1st June 2008, succeeding Anne-Marie Tibbits. David has helped to organise the Witney Parish CAFOD Group for 25 years, serving as Treasurer for much of the time, and is also active as Area Secretary for Aid to the Church in Need in the Birmingham Archdiocese.
