Fr Timothy (Tim) Hogan has been remembered as an icon of God’s love for us just as we are.
On Monday 14 July, family, friends and former parishioners gathered to farewell Fr Tim at St Anthony of Padua Parish, Toongabbie, where he was ordained a deacon in 1993, and served as Assistant Priest from 1999 to 2007. Fr Tim, a beloved member of the community, had died peacefully on Sunday 6 July 2025, aged 81.
Fr Tim had served as Assistant Parish Priest at St Anthony of Padua, Toongabbie, and also ministered at St Joseph’s Parish Kingswood, Mary Queen of the Family Parish Blacktown, and in the Parramatta Tribunal Office.
Fr Peter Confeggi, a retired priest from Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown and close friend of over 25 years, was the principal celebrant alongside another friend Fr Zvonimir Gavranovic, chaplain at Nepean Hospital, who had offered Fr Tim the comfort of the Church’s final sacraments. Former Vicar General of the Diocese, Bishop Bob McGuckin, Bishop Emeritus of Toowoomba gave Fr Tim the final commendation.
During the Mass, a chalice gifted to him by Bishop John Heaps, a former Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, and rosary beads from his Grandma Hinton lay on his coffin, alongside a portrait painted by Fr Peter as a gift for his 70th birthday.
The book of the Gospels, a set of rosary beads and a chalise lie on the coffin of Fr Timothy (Tim) Hogan during the Mass of Christian Burial at St Anthony of Padua Parish, Toongabbie, 14 July 2025. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
Accepted for who he was
Throughout the celebration of his life, Fr Tim was recognised for overcoming a lifetime of discrimination, prejudice, patronisation and instant judgement for his condition of cerebral palsy.
In her eulogy, Fr Tim’s sister, Angela, recalled how her brother – the twin of John (now deceased) – was always willing to have a go at something he wanted to do, and there were very few occasions when his disability stopped him.
“Tim was just our brother, and we accepted him as he was,” Angela said.
“We all played together, and Tim did most of the things we did, even if we had to give him a nudge or two.”
She added, “While some people looked at Tim and saw disability, his wide circle of friends looked at him and saw Tim.”
Fr Tim Hogan’s sister, Angela, speaks during the Mass of Christian Burial at St Anthony of Padua Parish, Toongabbie, 14 July 2025. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
Ordination to the priesthood was always something that Fr Tim wished for as a young man, Angela said, remembering that when they were children, they would role play Masses.
“Tim was always the priest,” she said.
Angela described their late mother, Joan, as being a lifelong advocate for Fr Tim through her assistance with his various forms of therapy in his early childhood, helping with his admittance to university and getting him his first jobs following graduation.
Angela thanked the Diocesan Clergy Health and Wellbeing team members for their support during his retirement and the staff at Holy Spirit Aged Care Home, Croydon, for looking after Fr Tim for 11 years until his passing.
“Our childhood prayer concluded with, ‘God bless mummy and take care of daddy in heaven.’ And so, I pray, May God take care of you, Tim, in heaven.”
A family photograph of Fr Timothy (Tim) Hogan with his mother, twin brother John and sister Angela. Image: Supplied
Enormous determination tested in fire
During his homily, Fr Peter described his friend as having achieved “extraordinary things” with his life, and as someone who openly celebrated who he was.
“In the words of our first reading, we hear of gold that is tested in the furnace and found to be worthy,” Fr Peter told the congregation.
“Tim was tested in the furnace and finally found to be worthy.”
Fr Peter shared a light on the “enormous determination” that was inherent in Fr Tim’s spirit.
Retired Diocesan priest Fr Peter Confeggi speaks during the Mass of Christian Burial for Fr Timothy (Tim) Hogan at St Anthony of Padua Parish, Toongabbie, 14 July 2025. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
“As I know from living closely with him, the best way to get Tim Hogan to do something, was to tell him he couldn’t do it,” he said.
“Tim’s commitment to making the journey to what St Paul called our deeper, hidden self, was both brave and heroic.
“What for many people remain a cross to carry, for Tim, became a gift.”
Fr Peter also shared how he had learnt so much from Tim about disability.
“He taught me, and many of us, how not to patronise someone with a disability, how to be there with them, not for them, and a hands-off, rather than a hands-on service,” he said.
“Tim taught many of us to be present, because perhaps he had to be so present to himself and who he was before God.”
A natural gift for connection
Reflecting on his life, Shirley Stewart, the former parish secretary at St Anthony of Padua, Toongabbie, described Fr Tim as someone who was very easy to work with.
“He was just a lovely bloke and was very well liked in the parish,” she explained, adding that he used to visit everybody by hopping on his gopher scooter and would go “anywhere he needed to be”.
Fr Timothy (Tim) Hogan with his mother Joan and twin brother John following his ordination to the Diaconate at St Anthony of Padua Parish, Toongabbie, in April 1993. Image: Supplied
“He had a wonderful knack of talking to people,” she shared fondly.
“Despite his personal challenges, he would put his hand up to do anything, and he would just get on with it. He was never stopped in his ministry; he just kept going.”
Always loyal to the Church
Beyond his parish ministry, Fr Tim spent years working for the Tribunal of the Catholic Church in Parramatta, as well as for the former National Appeal Tribunal, and supporting the Catholic Church in Oceania, particularly Fiji.
Fr Peter Blayney, Episcopal Vicar for Canonical Matters, worked with Fr Tim at the Tribunal, and praised his contribution to the Tribunal, noting his perseverance and dedication.
Fr Peter had encouraged Fr Tim to take part in the Institute of Tribunal Practice course, which had allowed him to take part in the work of the Tribunal, in particular with marriages.
Fr Timothy (Tim) Hogan. Image: Supplied
Having passed the course. Fr Tim became a Defender of the Bond, an important role where he reviewed annulment cases for the Tribunal, providing reasoned arguments to uphold the sanctity of marriage.
“He would have to read the whole case, which could be 50 to 100 pages, and then present an argument, which takes a fair bit of dedicated work, time and energy and attention to detail,” Fr Peter said.
As the Vocations Director in the Archdiocese of Sydney when Fr Tim was applying for the seminary, Fr Peter helped guide Fr Tim through his vocational journey to priestly ordination.
Fr Timothy (Tim) Hogan is ordained by Bishop Bede Heather in December 1993. Image: Supplied
“It was a joy and a satisfaction to see him get ordained and to see him cut through all the challenges along the way,” he said.
“Tim had a great determination. He never denied his disability, but he wasn’t to be defined by his cerebral palsy.
“He didn’t expect any special sort of treatment. He did have to be accommodated in a few ways, but he carried on his ministry like any ordinary priest.
“He made a great contribution to our Diocese and the way of seeing priesthood and opening up and dispelling all the discrimination and limitations of disability.”
Following the funeral, Fr Tim was interred by Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, at Castle Hill cemetery, close to his friend, confidant and first Bishop of Parramatta, Bishop Bede Heather.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, blesses the coffin of Fr Timothy (Tim) Hogan during his interment at Castle Hill cemetery. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
View the images from Fr Tim’s funeral and interment on Flickr.
