Fr. Gabriel was born Michael Francis Taylor on the 14th of September 1950 to Arthur Lane Francis Taylor and Eileen Margaret Donaldson in Broome. He was the youngest of five children: Donald, Robert, Anne and Jennifer (who is no longer with us).
Not expecting him to live, he was baptised on the day of his birth in Broom Hospital. He received his First Communion at St. Mary’s Church in Leederville, Perth, on the 20th of October 1956 and his Confirmation on the 18th of June 1961.
In November 1968, he passed his leaving Examination. He also spent that year with the Marist Fathers from January to December but did not pursue a vocation with them.
After graduating from school, he left for Sydney and was employed by the Marian International Fellowship.
On the 28th of October 1985, he applied to join the Order of St. Paul the First Hermit. He looks his first Profession on the 18th of January 1987 for 3 years. He renewed his vows on the 7th of January in both 1990 and 1991 before making his Solemn Profession on the 24th of August 1991. During these years, he was made a Lector on the 13th of May 1988 and an Acolyte on the 25 of August 1989 by Bishop John Heaps.
His Ordination to the Diaconate happened on the 9th of December 1990. He was Ordinated to the Priesthood at the Shrine of our Lady of Mercy Penrose Park on the 14 of April 1992 by Rev. William Murray, then bishop of Wollongong.
He then remained at Penrose Park till 1998, when he was sent to Marian Valley, Shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians. In 2001 he became Subprior, a position he held till left in 2011.
During these years, he was also elected to the Provincial Curia as a Definitor 3 times. The first as 2nd Definitor from 2002-2006. The second time as 3rd Definitor from 2009 – 2012 and finally as 2nd Definitor from 2012-2015.
In March of 2011, he was appointed as Novice Master at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy Penrose Park, where he moved back to in August of that year. The following year in 2012 he was appointed the Sub-prior of the Monastery till 2015, when he became Prior. He remained Prior till 2017, when he requested to resign due to health issues. Instead served as Administrator from 2017 till 2021, when he was again made Sub-prior till the beginning of 2023.
He passed away on the 8th of June, 2023, at Holy Family Services at Marayong.
He was buried on the 20th of June 2023 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery Sutton Forest. Rest in Pease, Fr Gabriel Taylor.