Part 2 - From Oceania’s Shores to the Heart of the Marist World: Br Peter Carroll Reflects on His Journey from Star of the Sea Province to Superior General
- maristbrothers
- Oct 4
- 10 min read
Excerpts from Interview with Br Peter Carroll, Superior General, Marist Institute, Part 2. Read Part 1 here.
When did you retire from being a school principal, and what led to that transition?
I finished as principal at Lismore at the end of 2012. That was a significant moment for me, and the timing was dictated by the fact that we were about to begin a new province for the Marist Brothers in Australia. Maybe I should explain; in our congregation, a “province” is a formal geographic and administrative area. Until the end of 2012, Australia had two - Sydney and Melbourne Provinces, each covering different regions. At the start of 2013, those merged into one, simply called the Australian Province.
Br Jeff Crowe was elected the first Provincial, and at the chapter, I was appointed his deputy. That meant a real shift for me - moving into what we call “internal ministry,” this time working directly with the Brothers themselves, rather than in schools. Becoming Vice Provincial opened my eyes to so many new aspects of our life. Suddenly, I was living in Melbourne, leading a community, involved in council decisions, and, despite being a Provincial Councillor since 2004, this felt more complex because we were creating something new together.
"Becoming Vice Provincial opened my eyes to so many new aspects of our life."
But unfortunately, that time in Melbourne was cut short. By late 2013, I was called back to Sydney. I was still Vice Provincial, but now the Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse was underway - an incredibly intense and painful chapter for everyone involved: institutions, survivors, the broader church, and the Marist Brothers.
My work became all-consuming, and I was deeply engaged with the Royal Commission’s processes and our Professional Standards work. After Br Jeff’s term as Provincial ended, I took over and continued to be involved in the Royal Commission. I was called as a Witness on two separate occasions. It was extremely demanding, challenging in the deepest sense.
When you say the work was all-consuming during the Royal Commission, what did that mean for your daily life and emotional state?
It’s hard to describe, but we became the focus of intense attention - three separate case studies investigated our brothers: first in Canberra, then Newcastle, and finally the broader Catholic Church. Between those case studies, the Commission routinely called for more information and reports. I was blessed with outstanding people alongside me - Norm, Kathleen, Sr Margaret, Rosanna - who took on the lion’s share of the work. Still, the emotional toll was high. We were wrestling daily with tragic, disturbing, sometimes horrifying realities - confronting the darkest side of our story as Marists. There’s no hiding from it: brothers did terrible wrong, and that’s the direct opposite of everything this vocation stands for.
"Still, the emotional toll was high. We were wrestling daily with tragic, disturbing, sometimes horrifying realities."
The hardest thing, though, was grasping the full enormity of the harm done to children and others - harm I believe none of us understood in its depth at the time. Meeting with survivors, hearing their pain and sorrow, left a mark on me that’s impossible to forget.
You were the Vice Provincial when the Commission began. How did this affect you - personally, as a man of faith who may have known some of the Brothers involved, and professionally, in your role as a leader of the organisation?
I would say there were multiple, often conflicting responses within me. First, there was anger - anger at the offenders, some of whom I knew personally. I kept asking myself, How could you have done this? What were you thinking?
Alongside that was a heavy sense of shame - collective shame shared by many brothers. In fact, a couple still won’t wear the Marist insignia because they’re embarrassed at the association. That shame weighs heavily on all of us.
There was also a deep feeling of powerlessness. How do you undo such evil? How do you make amends to the victims, the survivors? There are no easy answers, and often it felt like we had none.
"There was also a deep feeling of powerlessness. How do you undo such evil?"
And then, there was the sorrow. During that time, I met regularly with victims and survivors who bravely shared their stories. It was heartbreaking - no one can hear those stories without being deeply affected.
At the same time, I was aware that the wider group of Brothers was suffering. They shared these same feelings with me. So many had lived extraordinarily good lives, yet they too were affected by what Brothers and some employees had done.
So, the impact was complex: anger, shame, powerlessness, and deep sadness. It coloured everything we did for years and remains with me still.
"This time also reinforced how essential a solid spiritual foundation is. The life of a brother has to be rooted in faith, integrity, and honesty."
This time also reinforced how essential a solid spiritual foundation is. The life of a brother has to be rooted in faith, integrity, and honesty. Faced with so much pain and darkness, the temptation is to lose heart, but for me, it underscored the non-negotiables – self knowledge, faith, prayer, a life of service lived with real purpose. If these aren’t there, then the other things can go awry. These years have only deepened my conviction that being Marist means constantly striving for authenticity in faith and community.
As Provincial, you served for just over ten years, guided the merging of three provinces, and led the largest Province in the Marist Institute. From your perspective, what challenges stood out compared to those you experienced in earlier provinces?
It’s very interesting to compare the creation of different provinces in my time. When the Sydney and Melbourne provinces came together at the end of 2012, it was, relatively speaking, straightforward. We were all in Australia; the school systems were alike, the communities similar, there weren’t major cultural or language differences. The process was well prepared, roles sorted, and priorities clear.
Transitioning into the “Australian Province” in early 2013, things moved smoothly, and gradually, a new shared identity took root.
But the new province begun at the end of 2022 is a whole different reality: it’s international, multilingual, multicultural. The challenges here are bigger and the changes cannot and should not be rushed. Growing a sense of unity and identity takes patience; while some things remain local, we strive for unity and real community across differences.
"Evolution, not revolution, is the key."
Our communications have improved, and gradually a sense of belonging is growing, but integrating internal structures between such diverse countries has to be gentle, careful. Evolution, not revolution, is the key.
How did you ensure that the Marist Brothers and the wider Marist family across so many countries lived up to the same values and standards?
For me, everything starts with leadership. The leaders in each country or sector must embody and set the standard, not by demanding but by truly living our ideals - welcoming, nurturing, inclusive. That is at the heart of the Marian tradition. The challenge is to centralise what needs to be centralised, while leave the rest at the local level - so each context has the freedom to serve as it knows best.
"Welcoming, nurturing, and inclusive. That is at the heart of the Marian tradition."
The new structure divides the province into sectors, each led by a delegate - the point person for Aotearoa - New Zealand and its long Marist history, for Australia, for the Pacific and Melanesia, and for Timor-Leste and Cambodia, which are still young and developing. The delegates oversee the local matters in these places. This sector approach allows us to keep the best of local creativity and closeness, while building a wider shared mission together. That’s the balance - central vision, local freedom, and always remembering our deepest values.
Some suggest that religious life in Australia and Aotearoa–New Zealand is nearing its end. Do you share that view?
Some congregations in Australia, especially smaller home-grown ones, speak of "completion"; that their mission is done, and now they are closing. I don’t quite see it like that for the Marist Brothers. We are an international congregation. While in places like Australia and New Zealand there have been no new vocations for many years and our age profile is growing older, there are other parts of the world within our province where the vocation to brotherhood is still growing or at least holding steady.
"In Australia and New Zealand, you could say we did what we were asked: we established and developed Catholic education for the local Church."
So, in our province, we have both realities: areas where numbers are declining and where we’ve fulfilled our mission, and areas where we continue to grow. In Australia and New Zealand, you could say we did what we were asked: we established and developed Catholic education for the local Church, and I believe we did it very effectively, over generations.
But there is still an active role for religious as witnesses - not just in what they do on a day-to-day basis, but as living testimonies to faith, communion and mission. The mission of a brother is about giving your life to something you truly believe in, Jesus Christ and his Good News. That witness continues throughout a Brother’s life, even when he is no longer teaching or in active ministry. A Brother’s life is one of community, prayer, and being present to others near and far. That mission of being a Brother, I believe, is more important today than ever in a fragmented and violent world.
In other parts of our province, where numbers are growing, the Brothers respond to local needs - it’s about decentralisation and being where we are needed. We do not try to do what we cannot do or what is no longer required. Instead, we act where the call is strongest, which is why there is positive growth in some countries. But above all, the essence remains: being a Brother is the heart of the mission.
We have seen growth in places like Timor-Leste, which now has 25 Brothers, and Cambodia, which welcomed its first last year. What do you think attracts young men to the Brotherhood there?
Timor-Leste, is a deeply Catholic country. Faith and the Church are very much alive and evident there. So religious life is something familiar, not foreign. Besides that, there are very real needs in the country that the Brothers can help meet - especially in education and accompaniment of young people. That mission to educate, nurture, and journey with young people resonates deeply. The Brothers there also exude energy and joy, and I think young people are naturally attracted to that.
"The Brothers offer a way of life and mission that addresses deep human needs."
Cambodia is more complex because it’s a majority Buddhist country. But the Catholic community, though small, offers ways to encounter the Brother - often through parishes or dioceses - which draws young men interested in a meaningful future. I think the same applies in other developing regions in our province.
There, the search for meaning, connection, and purpose - the human desire for love and relationship - underpins so much of what we do. The Brothers offer a way of life and mission that addresses these deep human needs. For me, that’s why I’m still a brother - it gives my life meaning and direction.
Last year, as Provincial, you visited Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Kiribati for the first time. What challenges do you see the Brothers and the wider Marist family responding to there?
Compared to Australia and Aotearoa - New Zealand, many Pacific countries live with very limited resources. Education is a huge challenge. They want the best for their young people, but there’s simply not enough money to lavish on schools or facilities. Basic needs are often unmet - at Mabiri, for example, running water is scarce; at Tenaru in the Solomon Islands, 800 students are taught by only 22 teachers, creating massive student-teacher ratios; and in Fiji, there are other challenges.
In Timor-Leste, we have just opened our first Marist school this year, which is exciting. Across the province, education remains a core focus, yet we are also aware that schooling alone isn’t enough. What happens after graduation? Employment prospects are limited, and that’s a key issue in the Pacific.
Moreover, in places like Timor-Leste, poverty, domestic violence, and care for the disabled also present ongoing challenges. These are all areas where the Marists could offer support and focus, but realistically, we must choose carefully where to invest our efforts - not to raise false hopes, but to work effectively where we can really make a difference.
Reflecting on your personal journey, what stands out as your favourite memory or the most rewarding aspect of your service?
That’s a tough question because there have been so many eye-opening experiences. But one thing that touched me more deeply later in life was discovering the international character of the Marist Brothers. I did all my early training and ministry in Australia, and it wasn’t until 2001 that I really experienced the global reach of the Marists. Meeting brothers from all around the world, visiting diverse communities, and feeling that we are all part of one family with the same mission - that was deeply encouraging.
"Meeting Brothers from all around the world, visiting diverse communities, and feeling that we are all part of one family with the same mission - that was deeply encouraging."
In recent years, attending international gatherings has affirmed this even more. Despite challenges like COVID and high travel costs, connecting with Brothers globally has brought me enormous joy and a richer sense of belonging to the worldwide Marist family, something we value greatly now more than ever.
As you leave Australia to join the Marist Institute in Rome, what do you hope the next eight years will look like, and what challenges do you anticipate?
Most of our Superior Generals have previously been on the General Council prior to their election. I haven’t. There is so much for me to learn and to experience for the first time. I am limited in languages. Although I have been learning Spanish, I really only speak one language fluently, English. I will be moving to Italy and living in Rome. This will be my first experience of living in a non-English speaking country.
I expect that it will take time for me to adapt to all that is new. Then there is the travel that goes with such a role. I will need to visit each of the Marist Regions, involving all the continents.
Despite all these changes, I expect I will receive marvellous support and encouragement from the Marist family, Brothers and Lay women and men. I have already felt that just in the past few days. I’m confident it will continue.
"Despite all these changes, I expect I will receive marvellous support and encouragement from the Marist family, Brothers and Lay women and men."
Once the elections are finished, I will meet with the new Vicar General, the six Councillors and the General administration. Together we will take the Calls of the Chapter and build our plan. I am confident we can help animate and encourage our global family.
View more pics from the election day:
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