Mr Anthony Kirley has been chosen to lead the Whitefriars College community as Principal from January next year.
Fr Paul Cahill (Prior Provincial) and Mr Peter Duffy (Chair, Whitefriars College Board) made the announcement of Mr Kirley’s appointment yesterday.
“We are confident that he will build upon the proud and distinctive legacy of Mr John Finn and the Carmelites who preceded him in Whitefriars’ first fifty-two years. In doing so, Anthony will promote, embody and uphold the Carmelite charism and spirit in all aspects of College life,” they said.
Below is the text of the announcement by Fr Paul Cahill and Mr Peter Duffy.
21st August 2017
After consultation with the Carmelite Provincial Council and the ratification of His Grace, Archbishop Denis Hart, we are pleased to advise on behalf of the Whitefriars College Board that Anthony Kirley will be the next Principal of Whitefriars College.
The process of discernment, consultation and selection has been lengthy and rigorous. The Board is delighted that Anthony has accepted the position. We are confident that he will build upon the proud and distinctive legacy of Mr John Finn and the Carmelites who preceded him in Whitefriars’ first fifty-two years. In doing so, Anthony will promote, embody and uphold the Carmelite charism and spirit in all aspects of College life.
Anthony will come to Whitefriars from Kolbe College, Greenvale Lakes where he has held the position of inaugural principal since 2007. During the last ten years, Anthony has established a co-educational school which educates 900 students and will continue to grow to 1200 students in the next few years. He has been instrumental in building a Catholic community that identifies with the Franciscan charism of St Maximillian Kolbe. Prior to this appointment Anthony was deputy principal at St Joseph’s Melbourne for eight years. St Joseph’s was a boys’ college educating students in the Edmund Rice charism.
Anthony is currently a member of the Executive of the Principals’ Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools (PAVCSS) and chaired the PAVCSS Faith and Enrichment Committee which plans the annual conference that is centred on faith leadership. He has also held the position of President of the Regional Colleges Principals’ Association.
Anthony has been awarded the Masters of Education and a Post Graduate Diploma of Mathematics from the University of Melbourne and a Graduate Diploma of Religious Education from Australian Catholic University.
We quote from Anthony’s recent application for the position to provide some insight to the man who will lead this College going forward:
To be successful, one must know what you’re doing, love what you’re doing and believe in what you are doing; choosing to commit not because it is easy, but because it is challenging and purposeful. This is for me the critical foundation enabling me to: lead by example, empower others, create best practice, create an innovative culture and foster the responsiveness of the faith community. Professionalism, loyalty, compassion, consistency, flexibility and a sense of humour are crucial elements of my leadership.
Anthony is married to Trish and they have two adult children, Patrick and Kate. Anthony is a parishioner of St Brendan’s Parish Flemington where he has previously served as Chair of the Parish Council for a number of years.
It is evident that Anthony will bring a wonderful breadth of knowledge, experience and energy to the position and will ensure that the College continues to provide our students with positive, challenging and rewarding school experiences. We are confident in your support of Anthony as he takes up his appointment in January 2018.
Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to formally thank the members of the Selection Panel, the Carmelite Provincial Council and the College Board for their dedication and commitment to the appointment process.
Yours sincerely
Fr Paul Cahill, O.Carm. (Provincial) and Peter Duffy (Board Chair)
