By Mark Brolly
22 December 2021
ONE of Melbourne’s most experienced school chaplains, the Reverend Dr Brian Porter has marked his recent Golden Jubilee as a priest.
Dr Porter celebrated Holy Communion to mark the occasion at his home in Baptcare Karana, wearing the same stole he wore when ordained by Archbishop Frank Woods on 30 November 1971.
He also wore a prayer medallion that Archbishop Woods had circulated as part of his calling of the diocese to prayer.
Dr Porter studied at Cuddesdon College, Oxford, in the 1960s and later worked in parishes, schools and university colleges in Sydney, Cambridge and Canberra before returning to Melbourne in the 1980s.
He was chaplain consecutively at Ivanhoe Grammar School, Melbourne Grammar School and Brighton Grammar School between 1983 and 2009.
For many years Books Editor of The Melbourne Anglican, Dr Porter was Archbishop Woods’ biographer in 2007 and edited a 1987 collection of his sermons and addresses, Forward in Depth.
After his retirement in 2009, Dr Porter was an associate priest or locum in many parishes, including St John’s Camberwell, St James’ St Kilda East and All Saints’ Mitcham, as well as being an adjunct member of the faculty of Trinity College Theological School in Parkville.
The Vicar of St Bartholomew’s Burnley Father Matthew Healy assisted Dr Porter during the service, which was organised by Karana chaplain Sam Lo, an Anglican laywoman. Some of Dr Porter’s fellow residents attended the service.
His wife Muriel Porter said the jubilee service was a wonderful experience.
“His ‘liturgical memory’ came back in full and he presided as he always had in the past! It was deeply moving,” she said.
