Robert McCulloch (priest)
Encyclopedia
Robert McCulloch is an Australian Columban priest who has been living and working in Pakistan since 1978.
, Australia
. He joined the St. Columbans Seminary in Sydney in 1964. Fr McCulloch was ordained a Columban Father in 1970 and since 1978 has worked to increase the education and basic health care of the poor and mainly non-Christian people of Pakistan.
Fr. McCulloch has served in two Diocese of Hyderabad
parishes: Kotri
, a rural area 100 miles east of Karachi
; and Machar Colony
, a community of 300 Catholic families in the slums of Hyderabad
.
Fr McCulloch also sits on the administrative board for St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Hyderabad. Fr McCulloch has established an outreach medical program at the hospital to provide vaccinations for infants and children, medical care for their mothers, and diagnosis and care of tuberculosis patients.
He has also developed schools in Pakistan that are now attended by more than 550 children. He has chaired the Board of Governors for the Centre of Academic Excellence, a project he initiated in 2007 to provide educational, spiritual, moral and personal formation for 100 Catholic boys.
Fr McCulloch has lectured at the National Catholic Institute of Theology
in Karachi, Pakistan in Liturgy and Church History.
At the time of his decision to return permanently to Australia, he had been working on setting up a Palliative Care Unit. It will be the first home based Palliative Care unit for the terminally ill in Pakistan.
The St Vincent de Paul Society of Victoria, through its Overseas Development initiatives, is providing on-going financial support for Fr Robert's health and educational programs and is proud of its support for his work.
Early Life
He was born in 1946 in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He joined the St. Columbans Seminary in Sydney in 1964. Fr McCulloch was ordained a Columban Father in 1970 and since 1978 has worked to increase the education and basic health care of the poor and mainly non-Christian people of Pakistan.
Work in Pakistan
Communal violence directed against Christians has been worsening in Pakistan, with the burning of churches and convents a regular occurrence.Fr. McCulloch has served in two Diocese of Hyderabad
Roman Catholic Diocese of Hyderabad in Pakistan
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hyderabad is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Pakistan.Erected in 1958, the diocese was split off from the Archdiocese of Karachi....
parishes: Kotri
Kotri
Kotri , a large town, is the headquarters station of the Kotri Taluka, or administrative district...
, a rural area 100 miles east of Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
; and Machar Colony
Machar Colony
Machar Colony is one of the neighbourhoods of Kiamari Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. There are several ethnic groups in Machar Colony. Bengalis from Bangladesh make up the majority of residents, but numerous other groups are represented,including: Muhajirs, Punjabis, Sindhis, Kashmiris,...
, a community of 300 Catholic families in the slums of Hyderabad
Hyderabad
-India:* Hyderabad, India, the capital city of the state of Andhra Pradesh* Hyderabad District, India, a district in the state of Andhra Pradesh* Hyderabad State, the pre-1956 state* Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, a village in Uttar Pradesh...
.
Fr McCulloch also sits on the administrative board for St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Hyderabad. Fr McCulloch has established an outreach medical program at the hospital to provide vaccinations for infants and children, medical care for their mothers, and diagnosis and care of tuberculosis patients.
He has also developed schools in Pakistan that are now attended by more than 550 children. He has chaired the Board of Governors for the Centre of Academic Excellence, a project he initiated in 2007 to provide educational, spiritual, moral and personal formation for 100 Catholic boys.
Fr McCulloch has lectured at the National Catholic Institute of Theology
National Catholic Institute of Theology
The National Catholic Institute of Theology was established in Karachi, Pakistan in September 1997. It offers academic courses leading to a diploma in theology, as well as programs for laypeople and Religious involved in Church ministries...
in Karachi, Pakistan in Liturgy and Church History.
At the time of his decision to return permanently to Australia, he had been working on setting up a Palliative Care Unit. It will be the first home based Palliative Care unit for the terminally ill in Pakistan.
The St Vincent de Paul Society of Victoria, through its Overseas Development initiatives, is providing on-going financial support for Fr Robert's health and educational programs and is proud of its support for his work.