Who we are

Rev Dr Patrick McInerney LSAI, MTheol, PhD
Director

Rev Dr Patrick McInerney is the Director of the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations.  He is a Columban missionary priest.  From 1979 to 2000 he was assigned to Pakistan where he worked in parishes, leadership and the fledgling efforts at dialogue getting underway at that time. Since 2002 he has worked at the Centre in Sydney.

Fr Patrick graduated from the Pontifical Institute for the Study of Arabic and Islamics (PISAI) in Rome with a Licence in the Study of Arabic and Islamics in 1986, from the Melbourne College of Divinity with a Masters in Theology in 2003 and from the Australian Catholic University with a Doctorate in Theology in 2009.

He is a member of Religions for Peace (NSW) and serves on its executive.  He is also a member of the Council of Christians and Jews (NSW), of the International Association of Catholic Missiologists (IACM) and the International Association of Mission Studies (IAMS).  From 2009-2017 he served three terms on the Catholic Council for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Relations.  From 2011–2017 he was an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Catholic University.

Fr Patrick teaches courses in Interreligious Dialogue and Islam at the Catholic Institute of Sydney and BBI-The Australian Institute of Theological Education. He participates in interfaith and multi-faith conferences and organisations and gives talks on Islam, Christian-Muslim relations and interreligious relations to a wide variety of audiences. 

Centre:  info.cccmr@columban.org.au
Personal:  patrickmcinerney@columban.org.au 

Kim Chong 
Media & Community Liaison

Kim is a former journalist who later pursued studies in sociology. Her particular focus was on the lived experience of dialogue, addressing themes of relation, creativity, passion, and humility. This led her into dialogue with philosophy, poetry, theology, psychology, and ecology. One of her career highlights was teaching orphaned children in a small town on the east coast of Mexico. Kim produces educational and promotional resources for the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations as well as gathers communities across faith and cultural lines in dialogue to counter discrimination and uphold social cohesion. 

Centre:  info.cccmr@columban.org.au
Personal: kimchong@columban.org.au

Brian Vale 

Fr Brian Vale has returned to his former ministry at the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations in Sydney after his time as Regional Director for the St Columbans Mission Society, in Melbourne (2017-2018), then as Vicar General, Hong Kong (2018-2024). While in Hong Kong, Fr Brian also acted as International Coordinator of the Columban Interreligious Dialogue Network. As missionary priest, Fr Brian was appointed to Japan (1976-1985), then returned to work in Australia (1986-1991), before returning to Japan again (1992-2003). He also worked in his home country of Aotearoa, NZ (2003-2009). Beyond interfaith relations, Fr Brian’s ministry is also in cross-cultural communication and creation-centred spirituality. He looks forward to renewing old acquaintances and building new interfaith relationships in Sydney at conferences and events.

Centre:  info.cccmr@columban.org.au
Personal: bvale@columban.org.au