Fr Maurice Carmody, a priest of the Archdiocese of Wellington, was ordained in 1970. Following his ordination he spent ten years in youth ministry and university chaplaincy in New South Wales and North Queensland. During this time he obtained a Bachelor Arts (Hons) from James Cook University, Nth Qld, majoring in History and Education. He subsequently studied for a Licence in Church History at the Gregorian University in Rome, graduating in 1983. He then lectured in Church History at the Yarra Theological Union in Melbourne before returning to Rome for Doctoral studies in 1985. Having obtained his Doctorate he returned to the YTU and again lectured in Church History until 1992. From 1992 until 2004 he held the Chair of Franciscan History at the University of St Anthony in Rome. He then returned to New Zealand where he became Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Wellington.
In 2007 he was appointed Parish Priest of St Francis of Assisi Parish in Stoke, Nelson.
In addition to his parish work he was appointed Roman Postulator of the Cause for the Beatification of the Servant of God, Suzanne Aubert, in 2010.
Fr Maurice is the author of two books on Franciscan History and numerous scholarly articles in the same field.