Rene Ramirez (bishop)

The Most Reverend Rene Ramirez RCJ
Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne
Church	Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Melbourne
Province	Melbourne
Appointed	8 November 2024
Other post(s)	Titular Bishop of Mauriana
Orders
Ordination	27 June 1998
Consecration	1 February 2025 by  Peter Comensoli
Personal details
Born	(1969-03-29) 29 March 1969 (age 56) Gapan, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Denomination	Roman Catholicism
Motto	Zelus et misericordia (Zeal and compassion)
Coat of arms

Styles of Rene Ramirez
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Rene Ramirez RCJ (born 29 March 1969) is a Filipino-born Australian bishop of the Catholic Church and a member of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus. He is an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Early life

Ramirez was born in Gapan, Philippines. He entered the Rogationists in 1985 at the age of 16. He made solemn vows in 1995 and was ordained a priest on 27 June 1998. ^[1]

Presbyteral ministry

Following his ordination, Ramirez became the vocations director for his congregation in the Philippines. He then served as administrator, treasurer and vice Rector at Rogationist College in Cavite City. In 2003, he moved to Rome to complete his licentiate studies in spirituality and earn a diploma in Social Communications from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He returned to the Philippines in 2006 and served in various roles within the Rogationists.

He moved to Australia in 2015 and served with in the parishes of West Footscray, Maidstone and Braybrook within the Archdiocese of Melbourne. In 2023, he moved to the Diocese of Sandhurst to help his congregation establish a presence in the Diocese of Sandhurst. ^[2]

Episcopal ministry

On 8 November 2024, Pope Francis announced he had appointed Ramirez and Father Thinh Xuan Nguyen as auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. ^[3] The pair were consecrated as bishops on 1 February 2025 at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne. The principal consecrator was Archbishop Peter A Comensoli while Bishop Gregory Bennet of Sale and Bishop Shane Mackinlay of Sandhurst were co-consecrators. ^[4]

References

1. "Bishop Rene Ramirez, R.C.J." catholic-hierarchy.org. Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
2. "Auxiliary Bishops". melbournecatholic.org. Archdiocese of Melbourne. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
3. "Resignations and Appointments, 08.11.2024". Vatican.va. The Holy See Press Office. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
4. "Joy overflows at Consecration of Melbourne's newest bishops". Melbourne Catholic. Archdiocese of Melbourne. 1 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.