Pope Francis has appointed two new auxiliary bishops to the Archdiocese of Melbourne, highlighting the evolving multicultural landscape of the Australian Church.
Father Thinh Nguyen and Father Rene Ramirez RCJ were both born overseas but have ministered in the state of Victoria for several years. They both expressed their surprise at the appointment.
“I felt overwhelmed at first by the responsibility and the weight of the task ahead,” said Fr Nguyen. “However, I am reminded of the scene where Jesus appeared to the frightened disciples in the boat, saying, ‘Take heart! It is I! Do not be afraid!’ (Matthew 14:27). It is this voice of Jesus that empowered me to say YES to the call.”
“I have since been reflecting deeply on St Matthew ‘For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners,’ and humbly accept that my pathway and commitment is to serve the community with faith and trust in God’s plan,” said Fr Ramirez.
The appointment of two priests of Southeast Asian descent showcases the increasingly multicultural composition of Australia’s Catholic community.
While both men share a Southeast Asian background, they have taken very different paths in discerning and living out their vocations.
Fr Nguyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam and came to Australia when he was 13 years old. He initially worked as an engineer before entering Corpus Christi College Regional Seminary, Carlton in 1999. He was ordained for the priesthood by Archbishop Denis Hart on 16 September 2006 in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, and has served in parishes across the Archdiocese, while also serving as a university chaplain and seminary formator.
Fr Ramirez was born in the Philippines in 1969 and was ordained in 1998 as a member of the Congregation of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus. He has largely served in administrative positions within the Congregation. He came in Australia in 2015 to oversee the communities of West Footscray, Maidstone, and Braybrook within the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Since November 2023, he has been serving in the Diocese of Sandhurst, where he has helped the Congregation establish a presence.
The dual appointments will allow Bishop Terence Curtin to retire from active service. Bishop Curtin is 79 years old and has been ministering as an active auxiliary bishop well past the retirement age of 75.
The Episcopal Ordination for the Bishops-elect is to take place in the morning of Saturday, 1 February 2025 at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne.