His Holiness Pope Francis has last week appointed the Most Reverend Peter Andrew Comensoli as the third Bishop of Broken Bay.
Bishop Comensoli has served as the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Sydney, New South Wales, over the past nine months, while the position of Archbishop was vacant from 27 February.
Bishop Comensoli is a member of the Bishops Commission for Church Ministry and Bishops Commission for Evangelisation.
President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Denis Hart, welcomed the new Bishop of Broken Bay.
“For the Australian bishops, I congratulate Bishop Peter Comensoli upon his appointment as Bishop of Broken Bay,” Archbishop Hart said.
“After distinguished service in Wollongong, and as Auxiliary Bishop and Administrator in the Archdiocese of Sydney, he brings his great abilities and personal gifts to serve and care for the priests and people of Broken Bay. He will receive a very warm welcome. Ad multos annos.”
Speaking about his appointment, the 50-year-old Bishop said he was humbled and happy to be asked by the Holy Father to be the third Bishop of Broken Bay.
“I am looking forward to getting to know the family that is the Broken Bay Diocese,” he said.
“I assure the people of the Diocese that they are already in my prayers and I ask them to keep me in their prayers, that I may be a good shepherd for them, after the heart of Jesus.”
Born in Bulli, NSW, on 25 March 1964, Bishop Comensoli was educated at St Paul’s College, Bellambi, Wollongong.
For four years, after school, he worked in banking while studying Commerce at Wollongong University and the University of New England.
In 1986, Bishop Comensoli joined the seminary at St Patrick’s College, Manly.
He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wollongong on 22 May 1992.
Bishop Comensoli holds a Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) in Theological Ethics from Edinburgh University (2011).
Bishop Comensoli was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney on 8 June 2011.
He also served as Vicar General in the Archdiocese; Episcopal Vicar for Life, Marriage and Family; Chair of the Sydney Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Board and Parish Priest of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Watsons Bay.
The Diocese of Broken Bay has been vacant since the retirement of Bishop David Walker on 11 November 2013.
Courtesy Archdiocese of Sydney