Bishop Timothy Norton SVD says he’s excited to get to work after being installed as the third Bishop of Broome yesterday.
The Installation Mass took place at St Mary’s College, Broome and was attended by Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President and the Archbishop of Perth, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, Bishop of Geraldton Michael Morrissey, Australia’s Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles Balvo, and more than a dozen other bishops from around Australia.
After processing in, Bishop Norton, who has served as Auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane for the past three years, gave thanks to Bishop Michael Morrissey, who has served as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese since August 2021.
“It’s a moment to give thanks tonight,” said Bishop Norton. “[Bishop Morrissey] has given a new meaning to the question Jesus asked, ‘who is my neighbour?’. He has truly acted as the neighbour to this Diocese. He has come here and given of himself to you.”
Following the Mass, Bishop Norton thanked the people of Broome and said he was excited to begin his new ministry in the region.
“I’m happy to be here. I delight in just thinking about what we’ll be doing in the coming months and years,” he said.
“I’m here for ministry with you, I’m here for healing if its needed, I’m here for listening, I’m here for working, I’m here for praying and I’m here for having some fun with you too.
“Whatever it takes, I’m really, really happy to be with you here in the Kimberley.”
The Diocese of Broome is the smallest in Australia with just over 7,000 Catholics within its boundaries. It also has only nine priests, ministering in a region 30 times the size of the Diocese of Broken Bay.
On 9 March 2020, Bishop Christopher Saunders voluntarily stood aside from the administration of the Diocese of Broome after the Vatican ordered a review of the diocese. Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Bishop of Broome on 28 August 2021.
Bishop Norton was appointed to the role in October, ending a more than three-year vacancy in the Diocese.
Bishop Norton was born in 1958 in Sydney. He entered the Society of the Divine Word and gave his perpetual vows in 1990. On 2 May 1991 he was ordained a priest.
He served in Mexico City for the first five years of his presbyteral ministry, before returning to Australia where he held various leadership roles within the Society of the Divine World, including serving as Provincial Superior for Australia from 2005 to 2013. He served as head of formation and director of the Ad gentes Centre in Nemi, Italy from 2014 to 2021.
He was appointed titular bishop of Madauro and auxiliary of Brisbane on 11 November 2021, and received episcopal consecration on 22 February 2022.