Fr
Peter L'Estrange SJ was among those honoured on Australia Day this year,
appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.
The
former Rector of Newman College at the University of Melbourne received the
award for ‘service to higher education and to the community through the
Catholic Church as an administrator and academic'.
Fr
L'Estrange was educated at St Aloysius College and joined the Society of Jesus
in 1967.
He
taught at Xavier College in Melbourne and was the Catholic chaplain to the
University of Queensland (from St Leo's College). He was awarded a doctorate
from Oxford University in 1991, and was then Rector of Newman College for 15
years.
He
has been involved in Catholic health care through the Board of Cabrini Health
in Melbourne, in the arrangements for Christian, Jewish and Islamic
chaplaincies in all Victorian universities, and in many administrative
committees of the University of Melbourne and its residential colleges.
More
recently, he was the Master of Campion Hall at Oxford University. He is
currently at Georgetown University in Washington as Special Assistant to the
President of the University.
The
award will be presented to Fr L'Estrange at a ceremony at the Australian
Embassy in Washington.
Fr
L'Estrange's younger brother Michael was some years ago also appointed an
Officer of the Order of Australia.
Volunteer honour
Jesuit
Mission supporter, and Xavier College Old Boy, Dr Terence Horgan was also among
those receiving awards for their service to the community.
Dr
Horgan, who now lives in St Ives in Sydney, was
awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia
for his efforts in raising money for Jesuit Mission through the Old Xaverian's
Association.
Interviewed
this week in the North Shore Times,
Dr Horgan said he is part of a team of ex-Xavier students who work together to
raise money for the Jesuits.
‘It's
really just like a social club that helps others', said Dr Horgan.
The
group's annual car raffle is drawn at the Indian Bazaar at Riverview. Last
year, the raffle raised $45,000 for Jesuit Mission.