Patty Fawkner

Fawkner is originally from Sydney and grew up in the western suburbs. She was educated by both the Presentation Sisters and the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. She has tertiary qualifications in arts, education, theology and spirituality.^[1][2][3]

After joining the 'Good Sams', Fawkner trained and ministered as a primary school teacher, later becoming a school principal and a diocesan religious education consultant.  Patty transitioned to adult education after completing her theology degree.^[3]

Fawkner was elected as the congregation leader of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan from 2017-2023.^[4] Her religious ministry has included a diverse range of roles, including adult educator, writer and facilitator. She has served as a religious education consultant, a communications officer with Catholic Religious Australia, the Director of UNIYA Jesuit Social Justice Centre, and a member of the Good Samaritan Council. Fawkner's work explores the wisdom of the Christian tradition on contemporary issues, the role of women in the church, and questions of justice and spirituality.^[1][2][3]

Fawkner has written and spoken extensively about these issues, with articles published on multiple platforms.^[5][6] She is a regular contributor to The Good Oil magazine, which in 2019 received an award for Overall Excellence in a Catholic Publication at the Australasian Catholic Press Association Awards. Fawkner was honoured in the 'Best Column' category for her regular section, 'It occurred to me'. The judges noted the way Fawkner wove together "her excellent knowledge of theology with warm and wise discussion of the contemporary issues that face the Church and its followers." They described her column as "erudite, intelligent and thought provoking."^[7]

Fawkner has held multiple leadership roles in the Catholic Church in Australia and has been invited to speak on contemporary issues facing the church in many forums. She was invited to speak about the spirituality of aging at an Australian Catholic Bishops' event.^[8] In 2019, she was elected as the Vice President of Catholic Religious Australia.^[9][1][3] In April 2021, she contributed to the Australian Women Preach podcast, an initiative of Women and the Australian Church.^[3] She was a participating Council Member in the first General Assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council of the Catholic Church in Australia in October 2021, and a member of the Council's Steering Committee.^[10][11]