Bishop Daniel Meagher has been installed as the 11th Bishop of Rockhampton in a ceremony at St Joseph’s Cathedral in the regional Queensland city. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
Brisbane Archbishop Shane Mackinlay was the principal celebrant for the ordination yesterday, which marked a “day of great celebration” for the Rockhampton Diocese and beyond, with many of the bishop’s Sydney-based family and friends in attendance and hundreds more following via livestream.
In attendance were the Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles Balvo, faith leaders and representatives from Catholic and other organisations, along with clergy and parishioners of the wider Rockhampton Catholic community.
Bishop Meagher succeeds the retiring Bishop Michael McCarthy. Bishop McCarthy was installed by Pope Francis in 2014, and Archbishop Mackinlay praised the outgoing leader for his nearly 12 years of service.
The former auxiliary bishop of Sydney thanked Bishop McCarthy and the people of Rockhampton for their hospitality, and those who had travelled long distances to participate in the Mass, particularly his mother Elizabeth.
In his homily, Bishop Meagher spoke of the relationship between Christ and St Peter and encouraged his new flock to follow the Lord closely and receive his peace, healing and “simple joy at being alive”.
“There are lots of organisations here in Rockhampton, but God’s grace flows through this beautiful cathedral, which is just a wonderful testament to the faith of our forebears,” he said.
“I promise you I’ll do everything I can to ensure it stays as beautiful as it is and we work to preserve it. But more fundamentally of course, God’s grace flows not through a building but through us.
“God’s grace flows through us and from us to the whole diocese, life teeming, good, healthy,” he said.
“That is also what God wants, God wants us to be happy.”
The bishop concluded his words by inviting the congregation to “let’s give it a crack, let’s be adventurous, try things, make mistakes, St Peter made lots of mistakes, and above all, let’s live”.
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Bishop Daniel Meagher is installed as 11th Bishop of Rockhampton (By Tara Kennedy, The Catholic Weekly)
