Our people

Archbishop Patrick O'Regan

Chair, Bishops’ Commission for Liturgy, Archbishop of Adelaide, SA

Patrick Michael O’Regan was born in Perthville NSW, and was educated at St. Joseph’s Primary, Perthville and St. Stanislaus College, Bathurst. He studied for the priesthood at St Columba College, Springwood, and St Patrick’s College, Manly, before being ordained a priest for Bathurst Diocese in 1983.

He served as assistant priest at Lithgow, Cowra, Orange and Bathurst before undertaking higher studies in France in 1994-95. He returned to Orange as assistant priest for three years, before being appointed parish priest of Wellington where he served until 2002 when he again undertook higher studies in France, obtaining a Licentiate in Liturgical and Sacramental Theology from Institut Catholique de Paris.

He returned to the Diocese of Bathurst in 2003 and served six years as parish priest of Blayney, before being appointed Diocesan Administrator following the retirement of Bishop Dougherty in November 2008. When Bishop Michael McKenna was installed in June 2009, Fr O’Regan become Bathurst Diocesan Chancellor, serving as Vicar General and Dean of St Michael and St John’s Cathedral, Bathurst. He was ordained as the ninth Bishop of Sale in February 2015.

On 19 March 2020, Pope Francis announced that he had translated Bishop O’Regan to the Archdiocese of Adelaide as its ninth Archbishop. His installation took place in St Francis Xavier's Cathedral on Monday May 25, 2020.

Archbishop O’Regan’s interests are pastoral liturgy and the theology of the Eucharist, and his love of music and singing voice are well-known. He has also been involved in adult education formation, lecturing in religious education at the Charles Sturt University’s Bathurst and Dubbo campuses, and at the Catholic Institute of Sydney.