austraLasia #1835

Australian Salesian appointed as Melbourne Auxiliary Bishop

MELBOURNE: 30th April 2007 -- The appointment by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI of Fr Timothy Costelloe sdb as an auxiliary bishop of the Melbourne Archdiocese, was announced by the Vatican Information Service (VIS) at midday today, 8 pm Melbourne time the same day.  The appointment will come as a surprise for some and a joy for all - this is the first episcopal appointment for an Australian Salesian, though not of course the first Salesian to hold an episcopal appointment in Australia - the origins of Salesian work in Australia are linked partly to the appointment of Bishop Ernest Coppo sdb as Vicar Apostolic of the Kimberleys in December 1922. The late Bishop Coppo had formerly been provincial of the East US province.
   Bishop-elect Tim (despite the formal 'Timothy', he is universally known as 'Tim') is Melbourne born and bred (1954).  He made his novitiate at Lysterfield, Melbourne, in 1977 with first profession on 31st January 1978.  His final profession also took place in Melbourne in 1985. Most of his Salesian appointments have been in Melbourne, other than his period of studies in Rome, at the UPS, and some time spent in Western Australia.  During his time in Western Australia, where he taught at the incipient Notre Dame Catholic University, his wisdom and understanding was recognised by the Archbishop of Perth, Archbishop Barry Hickey, who invited him as a 'peritus' to the Oceania Synod, held during Pope John Paul II's pontificate.    Tim has been Rector of the Salesian Theological College at Clifton Hill since it was opened in 2002, and at the beginning of this year was appointed parish priest of nearby Clifton Hill parish which was given into the care of the Salesians this year.  He has also been the provincial delegate for formation and was due to exercise an important role also at the level of the East Asia-Oceania Region. That of course, is now not to be.  The Australia-Pacific province rejoices at this recognition of the work of the Salesians, particularly in Melbourne but throughout the nation, while recognising that God still likes to write straight with crooked lines! The province can ill afford to lose a man of this calibre.  The good news is that he will be responsible, as Auxiliary, for the so-called 'Northern region' in the archdiocese, which includes the majority of Salesian presences in the city.
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