Speakers

Bishop Greg Homeming OCD, is an Australian Chinese born in Sydney on 30 May 1958.

He took the degrees of Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws at Sydney University, was admitted as a solicitor in 1981 and worked as a lawyer in Sydney until 1985.

At the end of 1985, the Bishop joined the Discalced Carmelite Order, making his first profession on 1 February 1987. He completed his priestly studies at the Yarra Theological Union, Melbourne taking the degrees of Bachelor of Theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity and Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Melbourne.

The Bishop was ordained a priest on 20 July 1991 and has held, within his Order, the positions of Major Superior, Novice Master, Prior (at Varroville and St Ives) and Director of Retreats, a ministry of particular interest to him. Until his appointment as Bishop of Lismore, he was the Regional Vicar (Major Superior) of the Discalced Carmelites in Australia.

He was ordained Bishop of Lismore 22 February 2017.

Fr. Michael-Joseph Paris (of St. Thérèse), OCD is a Discalced Carmelite Friar of the Province of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He is Director of Postulants in the Community of Holy Hill, in Hubertus Wisconsin.

After studying philosophy at St John’s University in NY and theology at Mount St Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg MD, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Washington DC in 2011. He served for four years as a Parochial Vicar in Rockville, MD and one year as an Assistant University Chaplain.

In 2016 he entered initial formation with the Discalced Carmelites and made his final profession of vows in 2023. He pursued specialization in Carmelite studies in Spain at the Teresian Sanjuanist Center in Avila and at the University of Comillas, obtaining a License in Spiritual Theology in 2022. He has contributed to various publications and online media and is a member of the Institute of Carmelite Studies.

Fr. Donald was raised Methodist in Georgia. In his early twenties, he studied French language and literature in Paris for three years. He taught French for two years at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. At 30, he had a conversion to the Catholic Church. Then, someone gave him a copy of Story of a Soul in French. He had never heard of St. Thérèse before. By the second page, he knew God wanted him to be a Carmelite. Six months later he joined the California-Arizona Province of Discalced Carmelites. He took the religious title, Bro. Donald of St. Thérèse. He was ordained a priest on October 1, 1988 at St. Therese Church in Alhambra. In 1996 he translated The Poetry of St. Thérèse into English for ICS Publications.

Among ministry assignments, Fr. Donald has served as Novice Master, Student Master, and OCDS Provincial Delegate. Now he resides in Oakville at the Carmelite House of Prayer. He is a member of the committee organizing the visit of the relics of St. Thérèse to the United States, beginning in October of this year.

Fr. Donald is the Spiritual Assistant for the Oakville OCDS Community.

Jean C. Brown is a convert to the Catholic Church and is originally from Alabama. She is definitively professed member of the Secular Order of the Discalced Carmelites Secular (O. C. D. S) in the California-Arizona Province and served as the formation director for the St. Joseph Community Council in Phoenix and currently serves on the Provincial Council as the Southwest Region Representative which includes Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. She is a clinical professor in the department of speech and hearing science at Arizona State University where she has taught a myriad of classes and has mentored numerous students. Jean holds a master’s degree in speech language pathology and social work and a doctorate in public administration. At St. Timothy Catholic Church, Mesa AZ, she serves a lector, Eucharist Minister Captain and has taught the Called and Gifted class. She is a committed Friday Adorer and enjoys these “date nights” immensely.” She facilitates the prayer shawl ministry entitled as: A Stitch and a Prayer. She enjoys hiking, photography, reading, gardening, and traveling.