About Us

I was born and grew up in Nukualofa, the capital city of Tonga. When I was seven years old, I remember being at church and the priest at the time spoke to all the children and asked if any of us would like to be a priest when we grew up. I was the only kid who put my hand up in response to this question. Before following this early calling into church ministry, I worked for the Westpac Bank of Tonga for seven years. While I was working at the bank, I was also a youth group leader at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Nukualofa. I eventually reached a point where I realised I wanted to follow God’s calling to become a priest.

I decided to move to Australia in 2003 to study a Bachelor of Theology at St Mark’s Theological College, in Canberra, where my brother and sister-in-law lived. In 2011, I went on to study a Master of Theology, also at St Mark’s, which is where I met my wife Erin.

In 2013 we moved to Gladstone and worked in the Anglican Church there for two years. In 2015 we moved to the Anglican Diocese of Bendigo where we could live out our callings to the priesthood more fully. In 2017 we moved back to Canberra as I was offered the position of working as the Assistant Priest at St Paul’s Anglican Church and St David’s Church in Manuka and Red Hill.

At the beginning of 2023 I began a new ministry as a prison Chaplain here in Canberra. I also work part time as Chaplain with Anglicare, looking after residents in Aged Care accommodation. I have two children, Tevita and Amelia, who I enjoy spending my free time with. I also play touch footy a few times a week.

Brian Douglas grew up in Sydney and worked as a teacher until ordination in the Diocese of Newcastle in 1992.

Brian began ministry at Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle and then moved to school chaplaincy (at Meriden School in Sydney and Newcastle Grammar School) before becoming the Rector of St Paul’s Manuka in 2008 and then Archdeacon of South Canberra in 2015.

Brian retired from Manuka in 2018 and then from the Archdeacon’s role in 2020. He continues to lecture at St Mark’s National Theological Centre in Anglican Foundations, sacramental theology and other systematic theology subjects.

He is also a Research Fellow at the Centre for Public and Contextual Theology at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture.

In recent years, Brian has published several books and articles in the area of eucharistic theology. Brian’s doctorate from the University of Newcastle focused on an exploration of Anglican eucharistic theology. 

Brian is married to Jane and they have two adult children, three grandchildren and two golden retrievers.

Nikolai’s PhD in Philosophy and Religion from Bangor University Wales, UK (2022) drew on the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) and the theoretical insights of René Girard (1923-2015). 

Father Nikolai is currently an Adjunct Research Fellow working under the banner of CSU at the Centre for Christianity and Culture, Canberra.  His research interest focuses on the theological, philosophical, ethical, political, psychological, and social implications for metamodernity, especially AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). 

He comes to his research role after a long career teaching Years 7-12 Ancient and Modern History (Greek and Roman history plus European and International Relations), English Literature in both public and private schools, and was the inaugural International Baccalaureate Coordinator at Trinity Grammar School, Sydney. 

He was erstwhile teaching Chaplain at Radford College, Canberra Grammar and for the last five years, Head of RaVE (Religious and Values Education) and Chaplain at Gippsland Grammar School, in Sale Victoria where his wife the Reverend Susanna Pain was Dean of the Cathedral after previously serving almost ten years in the Canberra-Goulburn Diocese as parish priest at Holy Covenant, Jamison and as Archdeacon.  Susanna is currently Senior Associate at Benedictus Contemplative Church and is also a Spiritual Director and Pastoral Supervisor. 

Father Nikolai looks forward to serving the faith community at All Saints in such areas as running a Philosophy Club, preaching, pastoral care, and promoting the welfare of our University community by means of social and educative activities.  Film, Drama, literature, the Arts, astrophysics, photography, and cooking list as some of his abiding interests.  Family, friends, and entertaining, Annie his black Cathedral cat who adopted him, and Susanna, he counts as the joys of his life. 

Born in Sydney, Father James moved to Canberra with his family in the early 1950’s, when the population was approximately 25,000.  He has therefore seen many changes to the city over the years. 

From an early age he had a strong sense of calling to serve in the ministry of the church and was particularly involved here at All Saints, being confirmed in All Saints’ hall before the church was built in 1958. 

He trained for the priesthood at St Marks here in Canberra in the late 1980’s and was ordained at St Saviours Cathedral, Goulburn in 1992, after which he was appointed as curate to St Alban’s Epping in the Diocese of Sydney for two years. 

Father James then spent more than 22 years in Sydney at St Albans then as Rector of St John’s Balmain. 

In 2014 he retired from full time ministry and returned to Canberra to serve as a honorary priest here at All Saints’.  As Father James says, his spiritual journey has now gone full circle!

Susanna Pain is Senior Associate: Community, Spiritual Care and the Arts working two and a half days per week at Benedictus Contemplative Church. She completed a Science Degree, Social Work Degree, and later a Bachelor of Theology at St Marks. She worked as a social worker in Adoptions; with Migrants and Refugees; and in the community for a number of years, then at the Department of Immigration in Sydney and Canberra.

She was one of the first women ordained in the Anglican Church of Australia in 1992. Susanna has worked in Parish ministry and chaplaincy roles in the Anglican Church in five different Dioceses since 1989, finishing as Dean, St Paul’s Cathedral, Sale, Gippsland in December 2021.

Since the 1980s, she has initiated and led meditation groups wherever she lives. She enjoys awakening in people, spirituality, creativity and delight. She does this through her work as a spiritual director, professional supervisor, retreat leader, InterPlay facilitator, and leader of contemplative quiet days and retreats.

Susanna has been part of the All Saints Community since her return to Canberra in 2021, mostly attending the 8 am service.

I originally trained as a high school art teacher when I left school, and during these years I became very passionate about exploring the spiritual aspect of our lives through painting. After a year of teaching at Nowra Anglican College, I decided to complete further study in the area of pastoral counselling and was able to work in this field for a few years in a Catholic high school in northern NSW. I was also very involved in leading the Lismore (NSW) Anglican Church youth group at this time, and eventually found myself being called to the priesthood.

I moved to Canberra 2010 where I completed a Master of Theology at St Mark’s Theological College. It was in Canberra that I also met my husband, Alipate, who was also studying theology. Once we had finished our studies, we began our ordained ministry in 2013 in the Anglican Diocese of Rockhampton, and then moved to the Anglican Diocese of Bendigo where we looked after a ‘parish cluster’ of small churches in the central farming area of Victoria.

In 2017 we moved back to Canberra where I worked as a Chaplain at Radford College, and my Alipate worked as the Assistant Priest at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Manuka. In 2020 I decided to resign from my chaplaincy role and only teach RaVE (Religious and Values Education) at Radford instead. The last few years I have been busy being a mum of two amazing kids, Tevita (9) and Amelia (3). In April this year I was appointed to the role of Warden at All Saints College in Canberra, and I continue with my teaching of RaVE at Radford as well.

Mercy Jeremiah was appointed as All Saints’ parish administrator in February 2017.

Born in Singapore, she is a Kiwi of Indian Tamil Heritage. She has worked as an Airforce Librarian and Hospital Administrator. 

Mercy holds a MPhil in English Literature and a Certificate in Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care and has trained as a school chaplain. She hopes to further her Chaplaincy studies in the near future.

Mercy sees her role as parish administrator as a Ministry of Grace and firmly believes that God has led her to this role. 

She loves road trips and enjoys music/dance and drama. She is happily married to Anbu and has three adorable children Meshach, Josiah & Lillian. The family worships at All Saints and are all dedicated altar servers.

Angela is a retired teacher and librarian, spending the last 23 years of work at the National Library of Australia. 

She has been worshipping at All Saints’ for the last 12 years, as well as a 5 year period in the early 1990s.

Angela is a volunteer in the Parish Office and currently works there on Wednesday mornings.  Her main tasks include organising baptisms, preparing the weekly Fold and the E-news. 

Angela is a widow who enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, working as a volunteer for the Lifeline Bookfairs, doing tai chi, reading and gardening.