Judges for our Ireland competition
Dr Toni Pyke PhD, the Justice, Peace and Ecology co-ordinator with the Association of Leaders of Missionary and Religious of Ireland (AMRI). She has worked at the Archdiocese of Boston and the US Catholic Bishops Conference in Washington DC in the Office of the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees. She has lived and worked on issues of international development and development education in Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Ireland. She has lectured at Maynooth University and the University of South Africa.
Patsy McGarry, was Religious Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times from 1997 to 2023. From Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, he is author of five books, the latest of which, ‘Well, Holy God’, a professional memoir about his years reporting on religion, was published in 2024. ‘First Citizen’, the official biography of then President Mary McAleese, was published in 2008, and ‘While Justice Slept’, about the Nicky Kelly miscarriage of justice case, was published in 2007. Both ‘Christianity’ and ‘The Book of Jesus Reports’ were published in 2001. Prior to The Irish Times, he worked for Magill magazine, the Irish Press, the Irish Independent, and the Sunday Independent.
Fr Pat Colgan, Columban missionary who worked in Fiji from 1995 - 2023, with the exception of six years ministry in Hong Kong. He is now based at the Columban headquarters in Ireland, Dalgan Park. His interests include interreligious dialogue, ecology and cooperating with local and European partners in spreading the knowledge of St Columban, who has been called the ‘Spiritual Father’ of the European Union.
Fr Jason Antiquera, Columban missionary-artist from Negros Occidental in the Philippines. He was ordained in 2015. His Art Ministry in Korea started in 2018 as a new way of engaging in mission with the local church through art retreats, public exhibitions of paintings and drawings, talks and presentations on art as well as publications such as an annual magazine for art ministry and art meditation workbooks.
Monica Morley, presently the Director of the Family Centre at Knock Shrine. Having studied theology with St Patrick's College Maynooth and psychology with the Open University she specialised in Bereavement Counselling. As well as her individual work now with clients at Knock Shrine she also facilitates bereavement courses, liturgies and training for those wishing to work in bereavement care in parishes and dioceses in the West of Ireland. Monica also co-presents Faith Alive, a religious radio programme on Mid West Radio each Sunday morning.
