Leading the faithful – Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP
Archbishop Anthony Fisher is the 9th Archbishop of Sydney
Archbishop Anthony was born in Sydney in 1960, the eldest of five children, to Colin Fisher, a pharmacist of Anglo-Irish heritage, and Gloria Maguregui, a Basque-Romanian immigrant who grew up in China and the Philippines.
He attended St Therese’s, Lakemba; St Michael’s, Lane Cove; Holy Cross, Ryde; and St Ignatius’, Riverview, where he graduated as dux. He gained bachelor’s degrees in Arts and Law at the University of Sydney.
While practising law at Clayton Utz in Sydney, he took leave from his legal job to backpack around Europe, discerning his vocation. In 1985, he joined the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), and in 1991, he was ordained a priest. He received an honours degree in theology from Yarra Theological Union (now the University of Divinity), and in 1995, obtained an Oxford doctorate in bioethics.
On 16 July 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, and he was ordained bishop by Cardinal George Pell on 3 September. During this time, he coordinated World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, the largest youth gathering in Australian history. On 8 January 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Parramatta. In 2014, he was appointed by Pope Francis as the ninth Archbishop of Sydney and was installed at St Mary’s Cathedral on 12 November. His episcopal motto is “Speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).
At his Installation Mass as Archbishop of Sydney, Archbishop Anthony outlined his vision:
“My hope is for a Church in which the Gospel is preached with joy, the wisdom of our tradition mined with fidelity, the sacraments celebrated with dignity and welcome, and the seminaries, convents and youth groups teeming with new life; a Church in which our parishes, chaplaincies and educational institutions are true centres of the new evangelisation, our laity theologically literate and spiritually well-formed, our outreach to the needy effective and growing, and God glorified above all.”
As Archbishop, he has overseen consultations for the renewal and reconfiguration of the parishes of Sydney, known as Parish 2020, as well as youth ministry and evangelisation, culminating in the development and implementation of the Archdiocesan Mission Plan, Go Make Disciples. He convoked an archdiocesan synod, the “Sydney Synod”, to be held in 2026, and under his leadership, the Archdiocese of Sydney successfully bid to host the 54th International Eucharistic Congress in 2028.
Over the past two decades, Archbishop Anthony has served in various leadership roles within the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, including serving as Vice President, and he is currently the Chair of the Bishops Commission for Catholic Education, as well as a member of the Permanent Committee.
He currently serves as a member of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical Academy for Life.
As the author of several books and more than a hundred scholarly articles in bioethics, moral theology, history, law, and spirituality, he is a strong proponent of the importance of education and the relationship between faith and reason. He serves as Chancellor of the Catholic Institute of Sydney and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Notre Dame.
Archbishop Anthony is a leading voice on the role of faith in the public square and has offered commentary, both nationally and internationally, on a range of social issues affecting both Catholic and non-Catholic society, including religious freedom, respect for the human dignity of the unborn, the sick, and the elderly, the role of Catholic education, interfaith dialogue, and other issues.
He is a passionate preacher who strives to expound the Gospel through his homilies and addresses, seeking always to unpack God’s word so as to make new disciples.
Read the Archbishop’s homilies, addresses, and statements here:
