Rev Dr Patrick McInerney, the Director for the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations, located in the Diocese of Parramatta, is the inaugural recipient of the Interfaith Dialogue Award by the University of Notre Dame Australia.
The award was announced by Professor Michael Quinlan, National Head of the School of Law & Business, Notre Dame University, and presented by Abbas Raza Alvi, President of the Indian Crescent Society of Australia, and Elder Philip Barton, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The presentation took place at the Broadway campus on the occasion of the 11th Annual Religious Liberty Lecture on 11 September 2025.
In his acceptance speech, Fr Patrick expressed thanks and appreciation for the recognition given to him, but noted that interfaith is about encounter and cooperation with others. Accordingly, the award is not just a personal honour, but extends to all the dialogue partners, to Columban colleagues, and to those who laid the foundations for the interfaith work of the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations. The award also recognises the importance of interfaith dialogue in these challenging times.
Rev Dr Patrick McInerney is a Columban missionary priest. He was assigned to Pakistan for over twenty years. He has a Licence from the Pontifical Institute for the Study of Arabic and Islamics in Rome (1986), a MTheol from the Melbourne College of Divinity (2003) and a PhD from the Australian Catholic University (2009).
Fr Patrick McInerney, Director of the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations, speaks during the Tri-Diocesan Social Justice Statement reflection evening at St Monica’s Parish, North Parramatta, in June 2025. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
Fr Patrick is the editor of the Columban Centre’s quarterly newsletter, Bridges, and an interfaith advocate on its social media platforms.
He is a member of the Australian Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Religions for Peace (NSW), the NSW Council of Christians and Jews, the Australian Association of Mission Studies (AAMS), the International Association of Catholic Missiologists (IACM) and the International Association of Mission Studies (IAMS). He has taught academic courses in Interreligious Dialogue and Islam at the Catholic Institute of Sydney and the Broken Bay Institute.
Fr Patrick attends Muslim, interfaith, and multi-faith events, conferences, and celebrations. He gives talks on Islam, Christian-Muslim Relations, and Interreligious Relations to a wide variety of audiences.
We extend our congratulations to Fr Patrick McInerney, his Columban colleagues, and the pioneering and patient work of interfaith dialogue that they have been promoting and practicing over many years. May the Spirit of God make their work fruitful, so that believers from diverse religions may build better relations for the sake of peace, justice, mutual understanding and cooperation for the common good.
Reproduced with permission from the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations.
