Pope Francis on Friday appointed a Filipino missionary priest one of the two new auxiliary bishops in Australia.
The Vatican announced that Rogationist Fr. Rene Ramirez and Fr. Thinh Nguyen will be consecrated bishops for the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
As auxiliary bishops, they will assist Archbishop Peter Comensoli in serving the 1.2 million Catholics who reside in the nation’s capital.
Both bishops-elect will join Bishop Martin Ashe and Bishop Tony Ireland in leading the four regions of the archdiocese.
Ramirez, 55, has been serving as the parish priest of St. Mel and Saint Malachy in Shepparton, under the diocese of Sandhurst, while Nguyen is a priest of Melbourne and coordinator of the Office for Life and Ministry of the Clergy.
Born in Gapan City, Ramirez entered the religious institute of the Rogationist Fathers of the Heart of Jesus after his primary and secondary studies.
He pursued his philosophical studies at Adamson University in Manila, earning a bachelor’s degree. He also obtained a master’s degree in educational management from De La Salle University in 2003, as well as a licentiate in spirituality from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on June 26, 1998.
While in the Philippines, Ramirez held several key roles, including administrator, treasurer, and vice rector of the seminary of the Rogationist Fathers in Cavite. From 2006 to 2009, he served as its director of communications and spiritual director.
He served as superior of the St Hannibal Rogate Center in Parañaque City from 2009 until his assignment in Australia in 2015.
In Melbourne, he served as parish priest of Holy Family in Maidstone-Braybrook from 2015 to 2023, before being assigned to the parish of St. Mel and St. Malachy.
Nguyen, on the other hand, was born in Saigon, Vietnam.
He completed his primary studies in Vietnam, then emigrated to Australia, continuing his studies in Preston, in the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
He was awarded a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Victoria University in 1995 and entered Corpus Christi College in 1999.
Nguyen was ordained priest on Sept. 16, 2006.
Among the roles he held include parish vicar in Deer Park in 2006, administrator and parish priest in Fitzroy from 2009 to 2010, and formator at Corpus Christi College in 2013.
He also served as chaplain at the University of Melbourne and as parish priest in Bennettswood.
The bishops-elect will be ordained to the episcopate at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne on February 1, 2025.