Maurice Carmody

Maurice Carmody (born 1946) is a New Zealand Catholic priest, Medieval Historian and writer, specialising in the history of the Franciscan order.

Early life
Carmody was born and spent his childhood in Auckland. He was educated at St Peter's College and entered the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) in February 1963. He was ordained priest in that order on 23 May 1970.

Academic career
He went to Rome to study and was awarded a Doctorate in Church History by the Gregorian University in 1988, graduating summa cum laude. He lectured in Church History at Yarra Theological Union, Melbourne, Australia. He was appointed Vice-President of the Franciscan Institute of Spirituality and Professor of Franciscan History, Pontificio Ateneo of St. Anthony (the Antonianum), Rome. He also held the post of lecturer in Church History at the Beda College and at the Dominican Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum).

Pastor
Carmody returned to New Zealand in 2005 and, having left the Franciscan order, became a secular priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington. He was appointed Parish priest and administrator of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Wellington (2005-2008). He is currently Parish Priest at Stoke (2008- ).

Postulator
In 2010 Carmody was appointed postulator (i.e. the person who prepares and pleads the case) for the canonisation of Suzanne Aubert (also known as Mother Mary Aubert). It was an unusual step for the Vatican to appoint a postulator outside of Rome. However Carmody's language skills (he has facility in Italian and French as well as English) and long Roman experience made him an ideal candidate. He must fit in several hours each day of research on top of his day job as parish priest for St Francis of Assisi, in Stoke.