In his address as the new Bishop of Geraldton, the Most Reverend Michael Morrissey said we need to model our behaviour on Jesus Christ who became vulnerable for our sake, and reveals to us through the Holy Spirit, God’s love for us.
This is the full text of his address he gave at the end of his episcopal ordination Mass in Geraldton on Wednesday 28 June. He is the ninth Bishop of Geraldton.
“I would like to respectfully acknowledge the Yamatji People, the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we gather tonight and pay my respects to their elders past and present. I thank you Kathy, as Custodian for the Naaguja People, for your Welcome to Country and to know your family has a link, like mine, to Yalgoo.
Coming from Noongall Station at Yalgoo, one thing I knew from an early age on the station, no road was ever smooth, sometimes it went all over the place for no apparent reason. Yet you had to travel that road to check out the windmills or the sheep. I had to travel a winding road on the journey to Priesthood and during my years as a priest in the Diocese.
Today, with God’s blessings and with the encouragement and support of so many people, I have travelled that road and stand here as the ninth Bishop of Geraldton.
It is with a sense of joy, and hope, and ‘Trust in the Lord’, that I now accept this ministry. My chosen motto from Proverbs 3:5 and its following line, ‘Do not lean on your own understanding’, will remind me of how to be a Bishop.
To paraphrase Hebrews 12:1, I am surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses to the faith, who have been an important part of my life as a Priest. Representing all that cloud of witnesses are those whose ancestors have been in Australia for thousands of years or who have come across the seas in the last 200 years and those in very recent times.
I would like to mention my confreres in the Parish Office by name, Benny Joseph, Sr Lyn, Carol Quill, Fr Larry and Fr Alby. I will miss you and the good times we had at our weekly meetings, and especially for the support you gave me over the past few weeks as I transitioned out of Parish life into permanent Diocesan life.
With so many witnesses to goodness and faithfulness, I therefore haven’t been so weighed down by the responsibilities of becoming the Bishop.
However, at this time our Church is weighed down and under intense scrutiny because of failures in being true to the Gospel by individual members of the Church. This affects us all and could have caused me to hesitate in accepting this call to be your Bishop. However, I found hope and encouragement through the lives of Sts Peter and Paul.
Peter, in the midst of his failure to stand up for Jesus in his hour of need, received the Grace to change.
Paul, through the power of the Spirit and with his rich understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures, knew he had to change.
We will have to change as a Church and especially in the way we lead. Pope Francis calls us to listen with humility and accept our failures of leadership.
As a Church, we are called to respect people’s vulnerability, especially children. When they are trying to understand who they are or their place in life, or in the Church, we allow them the space and time to figure things out, with the same compassion and kindness that Jesus Christ first showed to us.
So our model of behaviour is Jesus Christ, who became vulnerable for our sake, and who reveals to us through the Holy Spirit, God’s love for us.
To remain faithful to the Gospel, and reflect through our words and actions the humility of Jesus Christ, is the challenge for our Church and its leaders. ‘With Trust in the Lord’, together we will walk on the journey, a journey of Hope filled with the joy of the Lord. This will be my mission of service to you as your Bishop.
I would now like to acknowledge and express my gratitude and thanks.
Your Excellency, thank you for your kindnesses and encouragement over the past number of weeks, which began with a Monday night phone call that I will never forget, and for your presence among us this evening. I am most thankful to the Holy Father, Pope Francis for his faith and trust in me and will constantly keep him in my prayers, as I will you.
Archbishop Costelloe, thank you for your gracious presence and the support and time you have given me over these past few weeks.
My brother Bishops, you honour our Diocese by your presence this evening and I personally am grateful for all the messages of support that I have received. One Bishop suggested I keep all the letters of affirmation, as I might need to re-read them on my journey as Bishop: this is good advice!
All of you have come from far and wide to be here in our Diocese this evening as relatives, friends, priests, sisters, brothers and leaders of our Catholic Organisations and education. If I don’t have time to speak with you this evening, thank you for your love, care and encouragement over so many years and your continued support for the Diocese of Geraldton.
I would like to thank the Diocesan family gathered here tonight; you, the priests, sisters and brothers, parish, agency and school representatives with so many parishioners. Fr Noel Tobin holds a special place in our Diocese in many ways, but primarily because he filled in the Parish Priest’s Reference for me to go to the Seminary. Sr Maria Crocetti, who cannot be here, opened up my eyes to a new way of Pastoral Ministry in Karratha and is still loved by all who know her. Mrs Colleen Shanks represents all the people who guided me to understand how to care for the sick and those who are housebound.
Sr Therese Denny, who has come from Melbourne to be here today, represents all those Sisters, Brothers, Priests and Laity from outside the Diocese, who have helped shape our Diocese over so many years with many faithful years serving within it.
Thank you to our Political and Civic Leaders and Members of the Geraldton Minister’s Fellowship. You honour our Diocese by your presence.
Tonight you see a number of people, Officers and Chaplains in the uniform of the Australian Army. Thank you for your presence this evening. You have had a hand in shaping and guiding me during my years as a Chaplain in the Army Reserve.
I am most grateful to all who have enabled this ceremony and everything surrounding this Liturgy to happen especially all in the Bishop’s House, Catholic Centre, Nagle Catholic College Staff and
Year 10, 11 and 12 Students, Strathalbyn Christian College, the MCs, the Choir and Musicians, and Servers. Jason Samson for the design of my Coat of Arms and Angela McCarthy for the design of my Chasuble. For having given up so much of your time and energy for 6 weeks to make tonight happen; thank you.
Let us now acknowledge all who assisted in any way in the usual way.
My family has been very special to me. My Sisters, Anne, Jill and Maura, my brother, Damon, my Brother in law Keith, my nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews, the youngest being Jesse Bailey.
Over all the years of my life and through my 36 years as a priest, my mother, Margaret, has been a guiding and spiritual light for me. The untimely death of Dad, Harry, 43 years ago affected us all in our family, but none more so than our Mother: thank you, Mum for being there for all of us.
My Bishop’s Ring designed and made by Shane Forth and David Carroll includes the wedding rings of 2 great grandmothers and my grandmother on Mum’s side of the family. This ring symbolises
I am connected for life to my Diocesan family of Geraldton and now my own family. You will always be a blessing to me.
I would like to thank Fr Robert Cross with Fr Peter Bianchini for assisting me this evening. You represent all those who travelled with me over 11 years from Seminary days.
Fr Robert has achieved something very special for the Diocese of Geraldton by locating the resting place of our first Bishop, Bishop William Kelly. Thanks to his hard and meticulous work, we will be able to properly and permanently honour our first Bishop in our soon to be restored Cathedral. Tonight in tribute to Bishop Kelly, I am wearing his Pectoral Cross.
Fr Brian Ahearn will replace me as Vicar General. Many of us know Fr Brian as a man of deep faith and kindness to people of all walks of life. Also we congratulate you, Fr Brian in celebrating your
Golden Jubilee of Priesthood on Friday, 7 July. It is an important milestone in your faithful service to so many over 50 years. I apologise to you, Fr Brian for stealing your special moment with this celebration.
My final thanks go to Archbishop Hickey, former Bishop of Geraldton and our Bishop Emeritus, Bishop Justin Bianchini. Thank you for your support over 33 years.
Bishop Justin, words cannot adequately sum up my gratitude for your friendship and companionship given to me over 25 years. I could not confidently take on this role as the ninth Bishop without the years of guidance from the eighth Bishop of Geraldton. You have thoroughly earned your retirement and you are always welcome in this Diocesan family of Geraldton.
So with a grateful heart, surrounded by so many as I begin this Ministry, I end with the words from Romans 8:28, ‘All things work together for good to those who love God’.”