About Patrick

I was born in Brisbane, and have spent most of my life in the south-east corner of Queensland. It has been my privilege to have accompanied folk in their faith journeys for more than forty years: ten in pastoral situations, and over thirty years in specific spiritual direction. From my boyhood, I have always been fascinated with the ways that people talk about God. Far more intriguing to me than “what does this person believe?”  is “what has led them to relate to God in the way they do?”

As for tertiary studies, I completed an M.A. in Studies in Religion (at University of Queensland) back in 1994, and a PhD (from Griffith University) in 1999. The doctorate centered on verifying a mystical approach of reading the scriptures – which blends very well with how scripture is often used in spiritual direction.

Another long-time passion of mine is the world of dreams, and how they can help us to listen and to love. I also enjoy helping others to re-see the gift of traditional prayers and dogmas through the lens of a contemplative approach. As well, I relish the opportunity to read accounts of near-death experiences, and to listen to people share their stories about experiences of the spiritual realm – especially the stories which they might feel a little reticent about disclosing to clergy or professional ministers of religion.

Retreats are also a joy, and they have gifted me with the opportunity to meet many small groups on the “grass-roots level” in various places throughout Queensland, as well as other places in Australia and New Zealand. Lately I’ve been interested in assisting people who have been prayerfully asking “What has my life been for? How might God have been using my life – humble though it may have been?” It is wonderful to be able to help them see how grace has been working in and through them, in sometimes the most surprising of ways through their years.

Writing is also a passion, and I’ve self-published books and mp3s through the years. Personally, my favourite books are “Listening Prayerfully to Your Dreams”, “The Freeing of God: Revisiting the gospels as the years go by”, “A God to Fall Into: Seven echoes in the great adventure of living in the heart of God”, and “All in the Flow: the enneagram’s gift to prayerfulness”. The latest mp3 that I’ve put together is a series of talks entitled “Life after Death: a spiritual director’s reflections”. A full list of my books and talks that are available for purchase can be found on the “Patrick’s Work” page of this website.

 I can be contacted on [email protected]. My phone number is 0408 062676.