Following last week’s announcement of his appointment as Archbishop of Brisbane, Bishop Shane has written to the people of Sandhurst.
To the People of God in Sandhurst,
On Wednesday 18 June, Pope Leo XIV appointed me as Archbishop of Brisbane. While this was a possibility that many people had been aware of, the decision itself was still quite unexpected and disruptive; it is a major change for me personally and highly significant for the Diocese of Sandhurst. I feel a range of emotions about moving from Sandhurst to Brisbane, including excitement, anticipation, humility and sadness.
It has been a great privilege to shepherd the Diocese of Sandhurst. I have been encouraged and inspired by the lively faith and commitment of the people, priests and communities of the Diocese, and by the generous friendship and welcome I have been offered personally. I am very grateful to have shared for almost six years in the pilgrim journey of the People of God here, where we have together begun new initiatives in living out our mission as Jesus’ disciples. I will miss the people of this Diocese and the communities into which I have been welcomed.
Periods of change and transition are challenging and unsettling. I am feeling apprehensive and uncertain myself as I prepare to leave my home state of Victoria and settle in a new and distant place. I know that many of you are concerned about the management and future direction of the Diocese. Some information about the election of a Diocesan Administrator and other details of what will happen over the months ahead are published in the guide that is also part of today’s edition of the Sandpiper eNews.
Some readers will recall the previous occasion when there was a Diocesan Administrator in Sandhurst, following the unexpected death of Bishop Joe Grech in December 2010. At that time, Monsignor Frank Marriott was elected as Diocesan Administrator and served in that role with great distinction for a little over a year, until Bishop Les Tomlinson was installed as the new bishop. It may well be a similar period of time before a new bishop is appointed as my successor.
My own plans for the time until September are largely unchanged. I will be present in Sandhurst over the next four weeks and will be honouring the commitments that I had previously accepted. In late July, I will travel to Europe for a number of engagements, commencing with a visit to the annual St Liborius festival in the Archdiocese of Paderborn, Germany, which was the home of Dr Henry Backhaus, the first priest on the Bendigo Goldfields. Appropriately, I will be accompanied to Paderborn by Fr Stephen Bolling, Parish Priest of St Liborius’ Parish, Eaglehawk. We will also be joined by Fr Nathan Verallo, who will already be in Europe at that time. I will return to the Diocese in early September and celebrate a diocesan Mass of Thanksgiving and Farewell at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday 7 September at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo, prior to travelling to Brisbane for my installation on 11 September.
There will be many changes across this transition period, but the day-to-day work of the Diocese, its parishes and schools will continue. I will carry great affection for this Diocese with me when I leave, and I assure you of my continuing prayers for Sandhurst and its people. I ask for your prayers for me and for the Archdiocese of Brisbane, as I prepare to take up this new ministry.
Image above: Bishop Shane takes time to explore the Ovens River after the Barney's Picnic in 2024.