Parish Priest, Partnered Parishes of Armadale and Toorak

In June 2004 Father Hayes came to Our Lady of Lourdes Armadale and St Peter’s Toorak as Parish Priest.

Ordained for the archdiocese of Melbourne in May 1976, he had already worked in various parishes as assistant priest and parish priest.

For ten years he had also worked in the Catholic Education Office Melbourne (long before it became Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools MACS) in the fields of Religious Education, Health and Human Relations Education and the ongoing education and in-service of teachers in Catholic schools in Melbourne and Hobart, together with the training of Parish Catechists.  During this period Father also acquired a Licence in Ecclesiastical History from the Pontifical Gregorian University Rome.

The busy work schedule for Father Hayes involves the usual tasks of the celebration of Sunday and weekday Masses, baptismal preparation for infants, children and parents, preparation of couples for Marriage, visiting and anointing the sick and housebound, working with the bereaved and celebrating Funerals, together with ministry at the Cabrini Intensive Palliative Care Unit Prahran, pastoral involvement with Our Lady of Lourdes Parish School and chaplaincy work at Loreto Mandeville Hall and St Kevin’s College in Toorak.

Father Hayes also works with the parish staff:  Secretary/Executive Assistant, Pastoral Associate, Assistant Secretary, Business Manager and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish School Principal.  Father is also grateful for the many dedicated parishioners who volunteer their services and skills to help with and co-ordinate various tasks and duties.  He also works closely with St Peter’s Finance Committee and The Education Advisory Board of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Primary School.

Fr Hayes is a strong advocate for Ecumenism.  Since Pentecost Sunday 1980, St Peter’s Catholic Parish, together with the Toorak Uniting Parish, St John’s Anglican Parish and the Swedish Church have formed the Toorak Ecumenical Movement which in normal times sponsors a monthly Prayer Session, Lenten Studies, Good Friday Way of the Cross and the Food for Friends Campaign before Christmas.