Congratulations Fr Anthony Crook RAN
July 17, 2020
Congratulations to our newest priest in the Diocese, Fr Anthony Crook RAN, who was ordained to the priesthood on Saturday 11 July 2020 by Bishop Brian Mascord.
The following biography is taken from the ordination booklet which can be downloaded here:
Fr Anthony was born in the small country town of Canowindra in Central Western New South Wales. Canowindra’s claims to fame include being the “ballooning capital of Australia”, and having the fastest flowing inland river “when in flood”. Other than these, it meets all the requirements of being a “sleepy country town”. He is the “second in line to the throne” of five sons born to Allan and Lorna Crook. Anthony attended St Edward’s Catholic Primary School in Canowindra for Kindergarten to Year 6, and for Years 7–12 boarded at St Stanislaus’ College, Bathurst.
After boarding school, Fr Anthony enrolled at The University of New South Wales, completing a degree in psychology, and (by accident) the history and philosophy of science. He resided at Basser College and spent time on the House Committee of the Basser, including a “stint” as house president.
From 1987–2002 and 2009–2010, Fr Anthony taught mathematics and religious education, the majority of this time as the religious education coordinator or director of religious education within these schools. From 2006–2009, Fr Anthony was the dean of students at St John’s College—a residential college within The University of Sydney. He was also a foundation staff member at The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Sydney campus, serving as the campus minister from 2006–2008, and since 2012 as head of Applied Psychology, and head of Chaplaincy Studies.
Upon celebrating one of those birthdays that end in “0”, Anthony was faced with two major life questions:
- How best to style his hair so as to look both trendy yet dignified; and
- What to do with the next 15 years of his working life.
Anthony surrendered himself to the “defence of the realm”, and in October of 2010 joined the Royal Australian Navy as a chaplain.
Before his Ordination, Fr Anthony had been ministering at the parishes of St Thomas Aquinas Bowral and St Michael’s Mittagong alongside Fr Sean Cullen. On the 15 July 2020, Bishop Brian appointed Fr Anthony as Assistant Priest to St John’s Parish, Campbelltown, under the guidance of Parish Priest Fr John Ho. Fr Anthony will continue to act in a Reserve capacity with the Royal Australian Navy and will work alongside Fr Ho and Fr Feleki Tautunu in ministering to the people of Campbelltown.
You are invited to join us in prayer for Fr Anthony as he begins his priestly ministry:
O Jesus, our great High Priest, hear our humble prayers on behalf of your priest, Father Anthony.
Give him a deep faith, a bright and firm hope, and a burning love which will ever increase during his priestly life.
In his loneliness, comfort him; in his sorrows, strengthen him; in his frustrations, point out to him that it is through suffering that the soul is purified. Show him that he is needed by the Church, he is needed by souls, he is needed for the work of redemption.
O loving Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your sons who are close to you because of their priestly ordinations, and because of the power which they have received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs them so much. Be their comfort, be their joy, be their strength, and especially help them to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy.
Amen.
Photos by Jeremy Yuen
