In Memory of Deacon Nick Kerr

Posted Aug  3, 2021 in News

Deacon Nick Kerr from the Catholic Church passed away on 27th July 2021 after an extended illness, he was 81 years of age.

Nick had always demonstrated a great desire to serve the Church in some capacity. He was ordained as a Catholic Deacon on 12th September 2009 in Adelaide, and served with distinction in the Adelaide Catholic Diocese, where he was one of the longest serving Deacons. He also served as Chair of the Australian National Association of Deacons (Catholic).

In 2013, Klaus Kieβling approached Rev Sandy Boyce about a possible Australian appointment to the International Diaconate Centre (IDC) Executive and Sandy recommended Deacon Nick Kerr. Sandy is Deacon at Pilgrim Uniting Church, Adelaide, and Nick was Deacon at St Francis’ Xavier’s Cathedral, Adelaide. Both churches face onto Victoria Square, the very centre of the city, and are just a short walk from each other.

In 2013 Nick and his wife Eveleen travelled to Johannesburg where the IDC Board met to discuss and prepare for the Pro Diakonia worldwide project, which aimed to strengthen the profile of the diaconate throughout the world and to make visible the way Deacons understand themselves.

In 2016, the DIAKONIA Asia Pacific Executive met in Adelaide and Nick was an invited guest.

In March 2017, Nick was a key organizer for Australia’s National Association of Deacons (NAD) Conference in Hobart. Professor Dr Klaus Kießling and Dr. Stefan Sander, were invited guests, along with Deacon Sandy Boyce, President of the IDC’s Protestant sister body, the DIAKONIA World Federation.

Also in 2017, at a conference held in Lourdes, France, Nick was elected one of eight delegates to the Executive of the International Diaconate Centre (IDC). He was the first Australian to serve in that capacity and was greatly valued for his wisdom, and humility.

Prior to be being ordained as a Deacon, Nick was a religious journalist until 2007. He was an award-winning journalist, writing and editing religious publications for many years including The Southern Cross and New Times.

He worked as a Communications Officer in the South Australian Uniting Church Synod and as Editor of New Times for 17 years. He continued writing in many forums in his role as Deacon and Pope John Paul II knighted him (Knight of St Sylvester) for his work in religious journalism and he was also presented the Gutenberg Award for excellence by the Australasian Religious Press Association.

Back in 1998 Nick was invited by the World Council of Churches’ communications team to the World Assembly in Zimbabwe. Afterwards he went to Nairobi to meet Sudanese refugees and on two other visits spent time with refugees in the Nairobi slums, in the Kakuma Refugee Camp and in displaced people’s camps. He remained committed to supporting African refugees in Australia and sponsored a number of refugees.

As a journalist Nick tried to help people tell their stories to the church – to give the voiceless a    voice. He and his wife Ev were both involved in Indigenous, refugee and asylum seeker issues.

In his retirement, Nick continued to serve the Church as a Deacon at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral and through his pastoral work with the African Catholic community.

The Uniting Church in South Australia is grateful for Nick’s contribution and dedication to the Synod and for his life’s work. We express our deepest sympathies to Nick’s wife Eveleen, their son Christian, daughter Mariot and two grand-children.

 

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