A priest from the Philippines made history by becoming the first Filipino bishop in Australia.
About 3,000 people filled the pews of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne on Feb. 1 for the consecration of Bishop Rene Ramirez, who hails from Gapan, a city in Nueva Ecija province.
Ramirez was ordained alongside Vietnamese-born Bishop Thinh Nguyen. Both will serve as auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
Archbishop Peter Comensoli of Melbourne was the principal consecrator, joined by co-consecrators Bishop Gregory Bennet of Sale and Bishop Shane Mackinlay of Sandhurst.
Cardinal Mykola Bychok 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, and 29 bishops
More than 200 priests from across Australia, Rome, the Philippines, the United States and Vietnam also joined the celebration, according to the archdiocese.
In his homily, Archbishop Comensoli reflected on the deep responsibility of episcopal ministry, describing it as “first and foremost a gift from God, to be fanned into a flame.”
He reminded the new bishops that their role is to be “a witness to the Lord in his death and resurrection” and called it a call to holiness, urging them to be “willing heralds, faithful apostles, and sound teachers.”
Addressing Bishop Ramirez and Bishop Nguyen directly, Archbishop Comensoli encouraged them to embrace their new roles with confidence and faith, despite the challenges they would face.
“The marks of death we each carry—of sin, doubt, despondency, tiredness, fearfulness—are, in Christ, transfigured marks of life—of grace, hope, trust, faith, confidence. In Christ, in his death-defying love, servitude gives way to friendship, and burden gives way to joy,” he added.
At the close of the ceremony, Ramirez admitted to feeling apprehensive about his new role, saying he was “fully aware of our limitations and shortcomings.”
“However, 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,” he said.
“We aim to embody compassion, understanding, and dedication as we serve our communities with humility and grace,” Ramirez added.
Pope Francis appointed Ramirez and Nguyen as auxiliary bishops of Melbourne on Nov. 8, 2024.
The Melbourne archdiocese, the largest in Oceania, now has four auxiliary bishops, including Martin Ashe and Tony Ireland, who will share leadership duties for the four regions of the ecclesiastical territories.
Ramirez was ordained priest for the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus in 1985 and served in various roles for his congregation in the Philippines until he moved to Rome in 2003 to complete his Licentiate studies in Spirituality and earn a Diploma in Social Communications from the Pontifical Gregorian University.
Upon returning to the Philippines in 2006, he held several key roles including as spiritual director at Rogationist Seminary College in Parañaque City and superior of St Hannibal Rogate Center in Parañaque until his assignment in Australia in 2015.
In Australia, Ramirez became the pastor of Holy Family Parish in October 2015, overseeing the Catholic communities of West Footscray, Maidstone and Braybrook within the Melbourne archdiocese.
In November 2023, he was assigned by his congregation to establish a new presence in the Diocese of Sandhurst as the parish priest of St Mel’s Parish in Shepparton South and St Malachy’s Parish in Nagambie.
In January 2024, he was tasked by the Bishop of Sandhurst to be the supervising priest in Rushworth, which includes four Mass centers.
