The ordination of Filipino-born priest Fr Rene Ramirez as Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne takes place on Saturday, 1 February 2025. The historic ordination will happen from 10am to 12.30pm at the St. Patrick’s Cathedral in East Melbourne.
The Melbourne Archdiocese shared the news of Pope Francis’ appointment of two new Auxiliary Bishops for Melbourne in Rev Fr Rene Ramirez RCJ and Rev Fr Thinh Nguyen last 8 November 2024.
The Melbourne Archdiocese posted on its website a statement from Most Rev Peter A Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne, who said, ‘I am deeply grateful to the Holy Father for this gift and blessing to our Archdiocese.’
‘The Melbourne Archdiocese is the largest in Oceania, and we have waited a long time to have our full complement of Auxiliary Bishops to assist in ministering to God’s people.
‘Both Fr Nguyen and Fr Ramirez are men who have a heart for the Gospel and a missionary energy for God’s people,’ said the Archbishop.
‘They are well known to the Melbourne Archdiocese, and have already made valuable contributions to the life of the local Church. I know that each will continue to share their distinctive gifts and passionate commitment to our faith communities in the years to come.
‘I ask for your prayers as they begin this new journey in their ministerial lives.’
Fr Rene Ramirez RCJ
Bishop-elect
Fr Rene Ramirez, born on 28 March 1969, hails from Gapan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, a city located 90 kilometres north of Manila. He has been a priest since June 1998, after completing 13 years of seminary formation and joining the Congregation of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus in May 1985. His first assignment as a priest was as the Vocation Director for his congregation in the Philippines.
From 1999 until early 2003, Fr Rene later served as Administrator, Treasurer and Vice Rector at Rogationist College in Cavite City while pursuing a Master in Educational Management at De La Salle University in Dasmariñas City. He then 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 was appointed Director of Social Communications and Spiritual Director for the seminary students of philosophy at Rogationist Seminary College in Parañaque City, where he also taught. From 2009 to 2015, he served as the Superior of St Hannibal Rogate Centre, which included the Communications Office, the Provincial House and the House for Rogationist Late Vocation Seminarians.
In Australia, Fr Rene became the pastor of Holy Family Parish in October 2015, overseeing the Catholic communities of West Footscray, Maidstone and Braybrook within the Archdiocese of Melbourne. He played a crucial role in the amalgamation of the partnered parishes of Maidstone and Braybrook in 2018 and has been actively involved in parish renewal through Ron Huntley Leadership Coaching.
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 (Canon 517 §2) in Rushworth, which includes four Mass centres.
