Joy overflows at Consecration of Melbourne’s newest bishops

On 1 February 2025, St Patrick’s Cathedral was overflowing—with people and with a spirit of joy and hopeful anticipation—as the Archdiocese of Melbourne welcomed two new auxiliary bishops.

About 3,000 faithful gathered at the Cathedral and at nearby Cathedral Hall on a warm, bright Saturday morning for the Episcopal Consecration of the Most Rev Thinh Nguyen and Most Rev Rene Ramirez RCJ, with thousands more joining online from across Australia and overseas for the almost three-hour liturgy.

Archbishop Peter A Comensoli was the principal consecrator, joined by co-consecrators Bishop Gregory Bennet of Sale and Bishop Shane Mackinlay of Sandhurst. Cardinal Mykola Bychok CSsR of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Sts Peter and Paul in Melbourne also concelebrated at the Mass, along with Apostolic Nuncio to Australia Archbishop Charles Balvo, three other archbishops, 29 bishops, and more than 200 priests from Melbourne, across Australia, Rome, the Philippines, the United States and Vietnam. Four transitional deacons, a group of seminarians from Corpus Christi College and the Cathedral sacristans ably assisted them. Both the Filipino and Vietnamese Catholic communities were a strong and enthusiastic presence among those who filled the pews of the Cathedral.

During the Liturgy of the Word, Mr Eric Ramirez read the first reading, from the Book of Jeremiah, in Tagalog, and Mrs Van Nguyen, Bishop Nguyen’s sister, read the second reading, from the second letter of St Paul to Timothy, in Vietnamese. The Gospel reading, read by Deacon Joshua McDermid, was from the Gospel of John (15:9–17), highlighting Jesus’ call to sacrificial love and his commandment to ‘love one another as I have loved you’.

The ministry of bishop ‘is first and foremost a gift from God, to be fanned into a flame. It comes from the Spirit of the Lord as strength, love and self-control.’

Before the Rite of Ordination, two apostolic letters of appointment from Pope Francis were read aloud, formally appointing the new bishops. Archbishop Balvo read the letter appointing Bishop Nguyen, in which the Pope explained that Archbishop Comensoli had ‘earnestly requested from the Holy See an auxiliary for himself because of the enormous amount of pastoral business.

‘Beloved son, we who have the good of the Church at heart kindly approve that request. We have chosen you to put that task into practice. Your practical business skills, combined with priestly and human gifts, have hitherto been employed for the good of your brother priests,’ the Pope wrote, referring to Bishop Nguyen’s previous role as Coordinator of Clergy, Life and Ministry in the Archdiocese. ‘Your skills allow us to hope that you will be capable of discharging very well this mission of no mean weight.’

Similarly, Mrs Annie Carrett, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, read the letter appointing Bishop Ramirez, in which the Pope again ‘wholeheartedly endorsed’ Archbishop Comensoli’s request for an auxiliary bishop.

‘Beloved Son,’ he wrote, addressing Bishop Ramirez, ‘we choose you to fill that office having in mind your human and pastoral gifts, whereby, till now, you served in the midst of God’s Holy People.’

The congregation responded with resounding applause.

During the Consecration, Archbishop Comensoli laid hands on the bishops-elect, invoking the Holy Spirit to guide them in their new ministry. Each received the symbols of their office: the mitre, signifying their teaching authority; the ring, representing their fidelity to the Church; and the crosier, symbolising their role as shepherds of the faithful.

The liturgy was significantly enriched by the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs Combined Choir, the Filipino Chaplaincy Singers of Melbourne, cantor Larissa Cairns, organist Dion Henman and the St Patrick’s Cathedral Choir, under the able direction of Dr Philip Matthias, Director of Cathedral Music, reflecting the diverse cultural heritage of the new bishops and the people they serve.

In his homily, Archbishop Comensoli reflected on the deep responsibility of episcopal ministry, drawing on the words of St Paul to Timothy. He reminded the new bishops that the ministry of bishop ‘is first and foremost a gift from God, to be fanned into a flame. It comes from the Spirit of the Lord as strength, love and self-control.’

Addressing Bishops Nguyen and Ramirez directly, he urged them to embrace their call with confidence and faith. ‘The marks of death we each carry—of sin, doubt, despondency, tiredness, fearfulness—these marks of death are, in Christ, transfigured marks of life—of grace, hope, trust, faith, confidence,’ he said. ‘In Christ, in his death-defying love, servitude gives way to friendship, and burden gives way to joy.’

He concluded with an encouragement to the faithful: ‘Pray for these new bishops, Thinh and Rene, just as Paul prayed for Timothy. Pray that they may know this grace in Christ that is to be theirs, that it will sustain and nurture them.’

Grace has brought us together in this beautiful Cathedral. We come from various places and diverse backgrounds, yet it is God’s wonder and love that unite us in this moment.

After Communion, Bishops Bennet and Mackinlay led the new bishops through the Cathedral, blessing all those present. Bishop Ramirez then addressed the congregation, speaking for both himself and Bishop Nguyen, expressing their ‘heartful gratitude to God, as grace has brought us together in this beautiful Cathedral. We come from various places and diverse backgrounds, yet it is God’s wonder and love that unite us in this moment.’

Acknowledging that they had both received the call to their new ministry as bishops with some apprehension, ‘fully aware of our limitations and shortcomings’, he explained that ‘the courage to accept this calling comes from our complete reliance on God’s love and our trust in his plan, which may still be unfolding for us.’

After thanking all those who had travelled from across Melbourne, Australia and beyond for the Consecration, the many people who had supported them in their journey to that point, and all who had worked to make the day a reality, Bishop Ramirez declared his and Bishop Nguyen’s intention ‘to embody compassion, understanding and dedication to serving our communities with humility and grace. We eagerly anticipate deepening our connections and guiding our congregation in faith as we grow together in the love of Christ.

‘Thank you for being here to celebrate this milestone with us,’ he concluded. ‘We offer our blessings to you and humbly ask for your continued prayers.’

At the end of the Mass, before the final blessing, Archbishop Comensoli took a moment to thank all those gathered and to express his gratitude that ‘for the first time in many, many years’ the Archdiocese has four auxiliary bishops to assist him in his ministry, describing this development as ‘tremendously good’.

The Archbishop also made special mention of Bishop Terry Curtin, who had retired from his ministry as Auxiliary Bishop for the Northern Region of the Archdiocese just the previous night, a ministry ‘of great service and true apostolic witness’, which he had exercised for the past 10 years. ‘I would like to just offer my deep, deep thanks as you come to your retirement, Bishop Terry,’ the Archbishop said.

He also acknowledged the presence in the congregation of Archbishop Philip Freier, Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, who will be retiring himself on 10 February, and warmly thanked him for his Christian service.

At the conclusion of the Mass, the congregation poured out the doors of the Cathedral into bright sunshine, buoyed by the beauty of the liturgy they had participated in and by the joy of the occasion.

After milling in the Cathedral forecourt, about 1000 people made the journey across Victoria Parade to Cathedral Hall in Fitzroy, where the celebrations continued into the afternoon.

Both bishops looked forward to celebrating their first Masses of thanksgiving with communities who have been important to them in their priestly ministries—Bishop Ramirez that evening at Holy Family Parish, Maidstone, and Bishop Thinh on Sunday 2 February at the St Vincent Liem Centre in Flemington.