Members of Supervisory Group

The Truth Justice and Healing Council was created as a new and separate body to speak to the Royal Commission so that the many entities that make up the Catholic Church can speak with one voice.

It was established in late 2012 by the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ACBC) and Catholic Religious Australia which represent more than 200 independent organisations that, for the most part, constitute the Catholic Church in Australia.

At the same time a smaller supervisory group, to whom the Council makes its recommendations, was also established.

The TJHC terms of reference, which make very clear the role of the supervisory group and our reporting requirements, are on this website.      

Members of the Supervisory Group are:

Archbishop Denis J Hart
Archbishop of Melbourne and
President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference

Sr Ruth Durick
President of Catholic Religious Australia

Archbishop Mark B Coleridge
Archbishop of Brisbane

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB
Archbishop of Perth 

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP
Archbishop of Sydney

Bishop D Eugene Hurley
Bishop of Darwin

Rev Thomas P McDonough cp
Provincial Superior, Holy Spirit Province

Bishop Vincent Long
Bishop of Parramatta

Emeritus Prof Gabrielle McMullen AM
Trustee, Mary Aitkenhead Ministries

Archbishop Christopher C Prowse
Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn

Former members of Supervisory Group

Very Rev Tony Banks OSA,
Provincial of the Order of St Augustinian

Sr Anne Derwin rsj
Former congregational leader of the Sisters of St Joseph

Cardinal George Pell
Former Archbishop of Sydney

Bishop Michael Putney (dec)
Former Bishop of Townsville

Sr Berneice Loch rsm,
Former Institute Leader of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea and past President of Catholic Religious Australia

Bishop Greg O’Kelly SJ,
Bishop of Port Pirie

Bishop Peter Ingham,
Bishop of Wollongong

Sr Annette Cunliffe rsc,
Congregational Leader of the Sisters of Charity and former president of Catholic Religious Australia

Fr Paul Smith OFM,
Provincial Minister of the Franciscans

Archbishop Philip Wilson, Archbishop of Adelaide, is on leave of absence from the Supervisory group