New Catholic Enquiry Centre appointments announced

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference has announced two new appointments
at the Catholic Enquiry Centre.

Fr Neil Vaney, SM, has been appointed as part-time chaplain and Dave Mullin has been
appointed as acting director.

They replace Fr Allan Jones, SM, who completed his 10-year term as director of the centre.

NZCBC president Bishop Patrick Dunn expressed the bishops’ gratitude to Fr Vaney, vicar
provincial for the Society of Mary, for taking on the part-time role.

“Fr Neil brings with him significant experience in and commitment to the work of evangelisation, with a particular gift in enabling young people to hear and respond to the call to faith. He is also a noted moral theologian, with a deep interest in the theology of nature and environmental ethics,” said Bishop Dunn.

He also thanked Mr Mullin who agreed to take on the position of director until March,
2017, noting it is a position that had been harder to fill.

Mr Mullin agreed to be seconded from his work in the Palmerston North diocese.

Bishop Dunn said they are “sincerely grateful to Fr Allan for his leadership of the centre
through a time of considerable change”.