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Michael Kennedy (bishop)
Michael Robert Kennedy (born 13 May 1968) is an Australian prelate of the Catholic Church who was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle in February 2023. He was bishop of Armidale from 2012 to 2023.
Kennedy was born in Wagga Wagga on 13 May 1968 and was the youngest of the nine children of John Kennedy and his wife Fidelma (nee Madden). He received his primary education in a small, two-class country school at San Isidore, a small rural suburb outside of Wagga Wagga. He later attended the Wagga Christian Brothers High School.
After completing high school, he obtained a Diploma in Education and taught at Xavier High School in Albury for three years. He entered Vianney College, the seminary for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wagga Wagga in 1992. He would continue his studies in Rome, obtained a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontificio Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide and a Diploma of Mariology from the Marianum.
Kennedy was ordained a priest for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wagga Wagga on 14 August 1999. He was appointed assistant parish priest in Griffith for the first two years of his ministry. In 2001, he became the rector of St Francis’ Residential College at Charles Sturt University. In 2004, he was appointed assistant priest in Albury and in 2007, became the parish priest of Leeton, where he served until he was appointed Bishop of Armidale in 2011.
During his priestly ministry, he used his teaching background to lecture at Vianney College where he taught Moral Theology and Church History. He was also Vicar Forane (Dean) of the Murrumbidgee Deanery.
On 7 December 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Kennedy the 10th Bishop of Armidale, following the retirement of Bishop Luc Julian Matthys. He was ordained a bishop and installed on 9 February 2012, in a two hour long ceremony at Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral in Armidale. His ordination was consecrated by Bishop Matthys and co-consecrated by Archbishop of Sydney George Cardinal Pell and Bishop of Wagga Wagga Gerard Hanna. The ceremony was attended by 1000 people, including 90 priests, 29 bishops and two cardinals.
In December 2012, Kennedy was appointed the Apostolic Administrator of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, becoming the third person to take over the role following the resignation of Bishop Christopher Henry Toohey in 2009. He remained in this role until July 2014 when Columba Macbeth-Green was ordained and installed as the new bishop of the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes.
On 2 February 2023, Pope Francis announced Kennedy had been appointed to be the Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, which had been without a bishop since the death of Bishop William Wright in November 2021.
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Michael Kennedy (bishop)
Michael Robert Kennedy (born 13 May 1968) is an Australian prelate of the Catholic Church who was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle in February 2023. He was bishop of Armidale from 2012 to 2023.
Kennedy was born in Wagga Wagga on 13 May 1968 and was the youngest of the nine children of John Kennedy and his wife Fidelma (nee Madden). He received his primary education in a small, two-class country school at San Isidore, a small rural suburb outside of Wagga Wagga. He later attended the Wagga Christian Brothers High School.
After completing high school, he obtained a Diploma in Education and taught at Xavier High School in Albury for three years. He entered Vianney College, the seminary for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wagga Wagga in 1992. He would continue his studies in Rome, obtained a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontificio Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide and a Diploma of Mariology from the Marianum.
Kennedy was ordained a priest for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wagga Wagga on 14 August 1999. He was appointed assistant parish priest in Griffith for the first two years of his ministry. In 2001, he became the rector of St Francis’ Residential College at Charles Sturt University. In 2004, he was appointed assistant priest in Albury and in 2007, became the parish priest of Leeton, where he served until he was appointed Bishop of Armidale in 2011.
During his priestly ministry, he used his teaching background to lecture at Vianney College where he taught Moral Theology and Church History. He was also Vicar Forane (Dean) of the Murrumbidgee Deanery.
On 7 December 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Kennedy the 10th Bishop of Armidale, following the retirement of Bishop Luc Julian Matthys. He was ordained a bishop and installed on 9 February 2012, in a two hour long ceremony at Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Cathedral in Armidale. His ordination was consecrated by Bishop Matthys and co-consecrated by Archbishop of Sydney George Cardinal Pell and Bishop of Wagga Wagga Gerard Hanna. The ceremony was attended by 1000 people, including 90 priests, 29 bishops and two cardinals.
In December 2012, Kennedy was appointed the Apostolic Administrator of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, becoming the third person to take over the role following the resignation of Bishop Christopher Henry Toohey in 2009. He remained in this role until July 2014 when Columba Macbeth-Green was ordained and installed as the new bishop of the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes.
On 2 February 2023, Pope Francis announced Kennedy had been appointed to be the Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, which had been without a bishop since the death of Bishop William Wright in November 2021.