I am a Marist priest ordained in 1969. At various times I have been a university chaplain, tertiary lecturer and writer. I was able to complete a doctorate in environmental ethics and the theology of nature at Otago university.

I was trained in Ignatian spirituality and became a member of retreat teams offering the 30 day retreat after attending my first at Teschemakers. Gradually the two key visions in my life, discovery of God in prayer and in the environment coalesced in writing my book “Christ in a Grain of Sand” which I think was the first attempt to interpret the Spiritual Exercises from an ecological perspective.

I seem to have been gifted with a sharp intellect and great compassion born out of various moments of suffering in my life. I try as a listener to help my people to see and accept their giftedness and love so that they can acknowledge their lines of stress and learn to accept and grow from them. I use imagery, dreams, drawing, vision, prayer – whatever is best suited to the personality of the person.

Physical environment is very important for me. When I came back to Hawkes Bay after studies for a licenciate in Rome I was overwhelmed by the intensity of New Zealand’s light and the myriad of green hues in the land and had a deep sense of belonging to this land. I often have a profound sense of God’s presence in the mountains and bush of this land and the two 30 day retreats I was privileged to take part in were in areas of forest and beach in Central Otago and Guelph, Canada, where I encountered God in profound ways.