BISHOP ROBERT MCGUCKIN

BISHOP Robert McGuckin is the leader of the faith for more than 37,300 Catholics across the Diocese of Toowoomba.

An internationally respected canon law expert and director of the Australian Institute of Theological Education, Bishop McGuckin has a spiritual and religious influence which extends far beyond the borders of the Darling Downs.

With unwavering faith in his flock, this highly respected and credentialled shepherd has guided the diocese through a politically turbulent period since he was ordained in Toowoomba in 2012 after former Bishop William Morris was sacked by the Vatican more than 12 months prior.

In the six years since, amid declining rates of Catholicism globally and at the dawn of Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Bishop McGuckin has acknowledged the church’s failings and been a leader to bring about change, locally and nationally.

The vice-president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania, Bishop McGuckin has called for action on climate change to curb rising sea levels and mitigate unusual rainfall patterns, and spoke against the Federal Government’s treason laws.

Forthright and honest, Bishop McGuckin has earned the respect of people from differing faiths and beliefs, and been a strong voice at the table promoting multi-faith events and harmony in Toowoomba.

He is a member of the national committee which encourages better communication between the Catholic and Uniting churches, and also chairs the Professional Standards Office for the Catholic Church in Queensland.