St Patrick’s Cathedral in East Melbourne will host the episcopal consecration of two new bishops for the Melbourne Archdiocese tomorrow, marking one of the largest gathering of Catholics in the archdiocese in more than seven years.
More than 3000 people are expected at the celebration of this historic event, with countless thousands joining online from across Australia and overseas.
Bishop-elect Thinh Nguyen DD and Bishop-elect Rene Ramirez RCJ DD have been appointed by Pope Francis to serve Melbourne’s one million-strong, multicultural Catholic community, further strengthening the leadership of the largest Archdiocese in Australia and Oceania.
The episcopal consecration will commence at 10am, celebrated by the Melbourne Archbishop Peter A Comensoli and concelebrated by Cardinal Mykola Bychok.
It will be one of Cardinal Bychok’s first engagements at the cathedral since his elevation to the College of Cardinals in December.
Archbishop Comensoli described the consecration as a “significant moment for our entire Archdiocesan community,” emphasising that the new bishops were “called to be true witnesses of Christ’s love, peace, and justice in our world today”.
The liturgy will be enriched by the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs Combined Choir, the Filipino Chaplaincy Singers of Melbourne, and the St Patrick’s Cathedral Choir. Given their cultural roots, the consecration is expected to draw a strong presence from Melbourne’s Vietnamese and Filipino Catholic communities.
The ordination will be livestreamed on the Melbourne Archdiocese’s YouTube channel from 9.45am AEDT tomorrow:
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Historic Consecration of New Bishops for Melbourne (Melbourne Archdiocese)
