WelCom May 2018:
Bishop Michael Dooley, Bishop of Dunedin. Photo: Diocese of Dunedin
On 26 April 2018, Bishop-Elect Michael Dooley was ordained as the new Bishop of Dunedin by Bishop Colin Campbell.
The Vatican announced on 23 February this year, Pope Francis appointment of Fr Michael Dooley as the new Bishop of Dunedin. He is the seventh Bishop of Dunedin and succeeds Bishop Colin Campbell who has been acting in the role of administer for the diocese.
The Ordination to the Episcopate of Bishops took place in the Dunedin Town Hall with over 1000 attending, including the Vatican’s diplomatic representative, Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Martin Krebs, clergy, civic leaders and other Church leaders along with family, friends and parishioners.
Bishop Michael’s Installation Mass as Bishop of Dunedin took place on Friday morning, 27 April, in St Joseph’s Cathedral. The Installation marked the reception of the new Bishop in the Cathedral Church, where Bishop Michael presided for the first time with fellow bishops, priests and members of the diocese.
President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, Bishop Patrick Dunn, expressed the joy of the Conference and the New Zealand Catholic community on the ordination. ‘We welcome wholeheartedly Bishop Michael Dooley. This was an important day for our new Bishop and for everyone in the Dunedin diocese. We pray for Bishop Michael for his ministry among us.’
Bishop Colin Campbell, said ‘We feel most blessed to be able to welcome Bishop Michael into this role and know his extensive knowledge of and work in this diocese will be gratefully appreciated. I have been blessed with Michael as my Vicar-General and in the last 18 months, taking on the role of financial administrator, he has done a sterling job with this portfolio in the diocese. We are all truly blessed by Pope Francis’ choice of Michael as the seventh bishop of the Dunedin Diocese.’
Kia noho te Ariki ki a koutou.
The Lord be with you.