From rural Ireland, where his humorous and thought-provoking reflections on faith and culture have quietly reached Catholics around the world, Fr Brendan Kilcoyne is preparing for his first visit to Sydney.
A diocesan priest of the Archdiocese of Tuam, he will spend two weeks in Sydney from late June to early July, leading retreats, speaking at parishes and meeting with young adults across the archdiocese.
His message is one he believes modern society needs to hear: that Christ is the answer and antidote to everything.
The visit marks Fr Kilcoyne’s first trip to Sydney and his first opportunity to meet many of the Australian Catholics who have followed his ministry online.
“I’ve been giving talks sporadically right through my 34-year ministry,” Fr Kilcoyne explained.
“In 2020, during Covid, at the urging of and with the help of a few young friends, I began doing weekly podcasts.
“In 2021 we shortened the talks and moved to video with the stated aim of offering ‘theological McNuggets’, brief information and opinion productions on faith and culture.”
His Immaculata Productions YouTube channel has since attracted an international audience through short videos that combine theology, humour and commentary on contemporary culture.
The Archdiocese of Sydney’s University Chaplaincy, which has invited him to Australia, says it was his ability to address the challenges of contemporary society while always pointing people back to Christ that made him an ideal guest speaker.
“He’s speaking to a broken culture,” said University Chaplaincy coordinator Natalie Ambrose.
“When you’re listening to him speak about the Irish Church, you can hear the Australian reflection. You can see where things are similar and where they’re different. He talks about culture with humour and with love.
“He really presents Christ as the cure and the antidote to all the toil of the world and the problems that we face. The love of God is the healing.”
Fr Kilcoyne will serve as the keynote speaker for the Sydney University Chaplaincies’ annual retreat, which will explore how modern society can leave wounds and how Christ brings healing and renewal.
Fr Kilcoyne hopes “to interest, even intrigue, and bother them in a positive way with angles on common faith issues which I hope may prove fresh and helpful.
“At the least to spiritually entertain otherwise busy people.”
While the retreat is aimed at university students, Fr Kilcoyne will also speak at several parishes across Sydney, where all are welcome to hear his message.
“Other generations are hungry and thirsty too. They don’t always get the same opportunities as students,” Natalie said.
He will begin his visit on 29 June with Bishop’s Blend, followed by parish presentations at St Patrick’s Church Hill, St Patrick’s Blacktown and St Brendan’s Annandale. He will also host a women’s talk on St Mary Magdalene at St Catherine Labouré Parish, Gymea, and a men’s talk on courage at St Anthony of Padua Parish, Austral. His tour concludes on 10 July.
“We’ve been blessed in Sydney to hear many well-known speakers over the years,” Natalie said.
“But there’s something to be said for someone who’s simply a good priest, who speaks the truth beautifully and faithfully.
“That’s Father Brendan. He’s just a good priest.”
For more information about Fr Brendan Kilcoyne’s Sydney tour, visit unicatholics.org.au.
