Contact a chaplain

Get in touch with the Chaplaincy team or contact an individual chaplain.

Chaplaincy Team Coordinator

Rev Brendan Byrne (he/him)
Phone: 0408 081 869
Email: brendan.byrne@unimelb.edu.au

"I was ordained a Minister in the Uniting Church of Australia (UCA) in 2011, coming to the ministry from a working background in the trade union movement and the finance sector. I feel strongly called to providing pastoral care to students and staff amidst all the realities of the “daily grind”, to upholding the dignity, humanity and integrity of all people, and to providing spaces in which thoughts and feelings can be safely expressed. I am queer affirming, married to Sandy – a UCA Minister who works at Pilgrim Theological College – and the proud (though often perplexed!) father of a remarkable teenage daughter."

General enquiries

Have a general Chaplaincy enquiry? Not sure who to contact for Chaplaincy assistance? Send a message to our Chaplaincy team email and a member of the team will get back to you soon chaplains-team@unimelb.edu.au.

Contact an individual chaplain

Anglican/Episcopalian

Rev Sam Oldland
Phone: 0431 292 097
Email: sam.oldland@unimelb.edu.au

Sam is a University Chaplain as well as a pastor in the Anglican Church. He was a student at the University of Melbourne, and his favourite place on campus is the Systems Garden. Sam is married with two awesome kids and one pretty awesome dog, orders a flat white, and doesn’t get to enough Carlton Football Club games.

Buddhist

Venerable Hōjun Futen
Phone: 0478 162 600
Email: hojun.futen@unimelb.edu.au

Venerable Hōjun has been an ordained Buddhist monk of the Mahayana Sōtō Zen tradition since 2009, and also has practiced experience in the Theravada and Vajrayana (Tibetan) traditions. Hōjun has been a healthcare and prison chaplain for 12 years, working with people from a wide variety of backgrounds in life situations of acute suffering. Hōjun has a very keen interest in a number of forms of spirituality and enjoys respectful conversations with anyone about their beliefs and experiences in life (except for conversations regarding that uniquely Melbourne religion called football – of any code)! People of all faiths and no faith (including those who follow football) are welcome to join Hōjun in weekly group meditation and mindfulness sessions as well as one-on-one conversations.

Catholic

Fr Peter Fitzsimons
Phone: 0421 110 769
Email: pgfitzsimons@gmail.com

Fr Peter Fitzsimons is a Catholic priest who is also available at John Paul II House at 169 Grattan Street and assists at St Mary Star of the Sea in West Melbourne. He was ordained in Rome in 2004 and has been involved in university chaplaincies at the University of Auckland, University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology. A lawyer and academic by profession, he supports South Melbourne Football Club in its current iteration.

International Students

Sr Delma Lamb FMA
Phone: 8344 4825 or 0413 607 438
Email: lambd@unimelb.edu.au

Islamic

Sheikh Abdinur Weli
Phone: 0452 489 782
Email: abdinur.weli@unimelb.edu.au

Sheikh Moustapha Sarakibi (Fridays only)
Phone: 0402 337 304
Email: moustapha.sarakibi@unimelb.edu.au

Jewish

Rabbi Boruch Broh
Phone: 0435  188 445
Email: boruch.broh@unimelb.edu.au

Uniting Church

Rev Brendan Byrne (he/him)
Phone: 0408 081 869
Email: brendan.byrne@unimelb.edu.au

Southbank Campus Chaplain

Tom Grayden (he/him)
Phone: 0497 005 464
Email tgrayden@unimelb.edu.au

Tom studied Music Performance at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, graduating with Honours in 2024 and specialising in the trombone. Tom is passionate about the link between good culture and great art, and is keen to explore ways in which fine arts and music students can develop their craft in healthy community. Queer affirming, Tom is always up for a chat, a vent or a brainstorm, and can offer a helping hand to anyone who needs assistance with booking a recording pod or signing up for on-campus meal programs. Tom is sometimes joined by his friend Maggie, a small black dog who is happy to make friends in exchange for pats.