Our Team
Fr Jeff Kleynjans
Parish Priest
"May the church be the place of God’s mercy and love, where everyone can feel themselves welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live according to the good life of the Gospel. And in order to make others feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged, the church must have open doors so that all might enter. And we must go out of those doors and proclaim the Gospel.” ( Pope Francis)
Fr Vipin Edward
Assistant Priest
belong to the Voluntas Dei Secular Institute and I hail from Kerala. My motto is “to be like the Virgin of the Annunciation, the instrument of Christ carrying out the will of the Father in the reality of the present moment, in the midst of the world, wherever Christ has His rights”
Andrea Jayawardena
Parish Secretary
Deciding to leave my home country, Sri Lanka, and settle in Pakenham, Australia, in 2009 was one of the best decisions my husband, Ron, and I ever made. I am a proud mother of two children, Rebecca and Jason (dec.). I enjoy cooking and camping in the bush. I look forward to supporting my parish family and team. Being part of a multicultural and diverse community, both in the church and beyond, is a privilege, and I am excited to work alongside you all. God bless.
Mary Robinson
Sacrament and Event Coordinator
It is a great pleasure to be joining the parish team as Sacrament and Event coordinator. This is my first appointment into this type of role, so I am eager to learn and experience all that comes my way in this new challenge on my spiritual journey in faith. My family and I have been members of the parish for several years and recently I have been assisting with mass reading and extraordinary minister of the Eucharist. I am a dedicated and passionate teacher and hope to bring my experience from teaching into the catechist program. I look forward to learning more about our parish, the people and hopefully form heartwarming and meaningful memories with you all.
Katrina Venn
Pastoral Care
My husband Wayne and I have lived in Pakenham for 28 years and we have 3 children. I love walking and swimming and have a keen interest in my hobby mosaicing. I also enjoy doing charity work.
Terry Wynne
Safeguarding Officer
My family and I immigrated from Ireland to Australia in 1988 and have no regrets. Australia is a wonderful place for raising children. We have three boys all grown up with families of their own. My working background is in operations management, ISO standards quality, environment & safety, with auditing experience. My interests are swimming, gardening, walking and spending time with family. I will embrace the challenges the safeguarding position brings. I look forward to working with everyone in the Parish of Pakenham.
Parish Council Members 2021-2023
Ex-officio Members
Fr Jeff Kleynjans, Parish Priest
Terry Wynne, Parish Safeguarding Officer
Megan Escalante, Principal, St Patrick’s Primary School
Helen Staindl, Principal, St Clare’s Primary School
Elected/Nominated Members
Rebecca Simmons
Nisha Gomez
Rochelle Pereira
Melissa Vaca
Jean-Claude Pauguy
Gerald Prestt
Finance Committee Members
Paul Velten (Chair)
Rudy de Jong
Gloria Thomson
Mick O’Brien
Carmel McCowan
Odile Fox
Fr Jeff Kleynjans
Andrea Jayawardena
(Meeting Secretary)