ANTHONY FISHER OP
Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP, Third Bishop of Parramatta
DD BA LlB BTheol DPhil
Born in Sydney in 1960 to Colin and Gloria Fisher, he was baptised Anthony Colin Joseph at St Thérèse Church, Lakemba, and attended the parish school in 1965 and 1966.
Thereafter, he attended St Michael’s School, Lane Cove, Holy Cross College, Ryde, and St Ignatius’ College Riverview.
At the University of Sydney he received degrees in History and Law before practising law in a city firm.
In 1985, Bishop Anthony entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), a religious order dedicated to preaching the Catholic faith in the context of a life of study, prayer and community.
He studied for the priesthood in Melbourne, receiving an honours degree in Theology.
He worked for a time on immigration and refugee issues at Uniya, a centre for social research in Kings Cross, and was ordained a priest at Holy Name Parish, Wahroonga, on 14 September 1991.
Thereafter, Bishop Anthony completed a Doctorate in Bioethics at the University of Oxford. From 1995 to 2000 he was a lecturer in the Australian Catholic University. From 2000 to 2003 he was foundation Director of the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family, Melbourne. Bishop Anthony remains Professor of Moral Theology and Bioethics in the Institute. He is also Deputy-Chancellor of the Catholic Institute of Sydney and Adjunct Professor in the University of Notre Dame Australia.
In the Dominican Order he was the Master of Students (seminarians) and Socius (deputy) to the Provincial.
Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney
In 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney. In that archdiocese he was Episcopal Vicar for Life and Health and Chairman of the Catholic Schools Board. He is also Chairman of the Catholic Education Commission of New South Wales, a
- member of the Australian Bishops’ Commission for Doctrine and Morals,
- member of the Bishops’ Commission for Health and Community Services and
- member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Vaticano.
From 2003-2010 Bishop Anthony was Parish Priest of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Watsons Bay.
His community involvements have included:
- Chaplain to the Parliament of Victoria;
- member of the Infertility Treatment Authority of Victoria;
- chair or member of several hospital ethics committees; and
- chaplain to various organisations such as the Order of Malta.
- He has published extensively in bioethics and moral theology.
- He was Co-ordinator of World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney.
On January 8th of 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Anthony the third Bishop of Parramatta.