Just before Pope Benedict XVI retired, he gave permission for the bishop of Broken Bay diocese, Bishop David Walker, to retire as soon as a new bishop for the diocese is appointed. Bishop Walker turns 75 in November, the usual age at which bishops retire. However the process to select a new bishop can easily take longer than six months.
In Australia there are already several vacant Sees, notably Canberra-Goulburn, and our new Apostolic Nuncio only takes up his new posting in our country this month. Trying to discern new bishops at the same time as you are getting used to a whole different culture isn't an easy task. Please pray for him.
The process goes something like this : At regular intervals each bishop is asked to give the Apostolic Nuncio a short list of the names of those priests in his diocese who he thinks are bishop material. The Nuncio then has to check them out, work out whether they have sufficient learning, sufficient holiness and sufficient fidelity to preaching the Gospel and Catholic dogma, and whether they have enough administrative ability and enough interpersonal skills to do a decent job. Even if this new Samuel finds a new David, there is no guarantee that the desired candidate will say 'Yes'. If not, the process continues.
So prayers are definitely needed all round. And needed now.
Our prayers will make our Nuncio's discernment task easier and will help God's chosen one to say 'yes' and to persevere in that 'yes'. With a good bishop the priests of a diocese grow in holiness and courage to preach the whole truth, and vocations are plentiful. With a less-than-good bishop errors go unchecked, priestly morale drops, vocations dry up and the foundations for future scandals are laid.
Broken Bay diocese is in particular need of a new bishop of the good variety. For quite some time we have been jokingly known as the Broken Faith diocese, and not without reason.
Of your charity, please join us in praying for not only a good bishop, but for a great bishop ; let us trust that the generous Mercy of God will grant to Broken Bay diocese the best bishop our nation has ever had thus far in its history - if enough of us pray and pray daily and with perseverance.
Below is a PDF containing an A4 page, with 4 copies of a Prayer for a New Bishop. Please download it, print it, distribute it and encourage others to pray it. A copy with a place to add the name of your own diocese will also be placed on the Resources - Prayer page.
In Australia there are already several vacant Sees, notably Canberra-Goulburn, and our new Apostolic Nuncio only takes up his new posting in our country this month. Trying to discern new bishops at the same time as you are getting used to a whole different culture isn't an easy task. Please pray for him.
The process goes something like this : At regular intervals each bishop is asked to give the Apostolic Nuncio a short list of the names of those priests in his diocese who he thinks are bishop material. The Nuncio then has to check them out, work out whether they have sufficient learning, sufficient holiness and sufficient fidelity to preaching the Gospel and Catholic dogma, and whether they have enough administrative ability and enough interpersonal skills to do a decent job. Even if this new Samuel finds a new David, there is no guarantee that the desired candidate will say 'Yes'. If not, the process continues.
So prayers are definitely needed all round. And needed now.
Our prayers will make our Nuncio's discernment task easier and will help God's chosen one to say 'yes' and to persevere in that 'yes'. With a good bishop the priests of a diocese grow in holiness and courage to preach the whole truth, and vocations are plentiful. With a less-than-good bishop errors go unchecked, priestly morale drops, vocations dry up and the foundations for future scandals are laid.
Broken Bay diocese is in particular need of a new bishop of the good variety. For quite some time we have been jokingly known as the Broken Faith diocese, and not without reason.
Of your charity, please join us in praying for not only a good bishop, but for a great bishop ; let us trust that the generous Mercy of God will grant to Broken Bay diocese the best bishop our nation has ever had thus far in its history - if enough of us pray and pray daily and with perseverance.
Below is a PDF containing an A4 page, with 4 copies of a Prayer for a New Bishop. Please download it, print it, distribute it and encourage others to pray it. A copy with a place to add the name of your own diocese will also be placed on the Resources - Prayer page.
| prayernewbishoppdf.pdf |
Our Lady, Help of Christians, Patroness of Australia, pray for us.
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Patroness of Broken Bay diocese, pray for us.
Venerable Caroline Chisholm, Patroness of the diocesan offices, pray for us.
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Patroness of Broken Bay diocese, pray for us.
Venerable Caroline Chisholm, Patroness of the diocesan offices, pray for us.
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