Former Melbourne priest Joe Caddy has been ordained as the Bishop of Cairns in a ceremony at St Monica’s Cathedral on Thursday evening.
He follows long-term Bishop James Foley, who retired in 2022 after 30 years in the role.
The Ordination ceremony attracted bishops and clergy from around Australia who gathered to pray for Bishop Joe and the success of his mission in Far North Queensland. Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane was the chief celebrant.
In addition to the 600 people packing St Monica’s Cathedral, the ceremony was livestreamed to hundreds of people gathered at 14 church and school sites around Far North Queensland, from Tully in the south to Waiben (Thursday Island) in the north.
A special feature of the service was the singing of The Magnificat composed by Rev Christopher Willcock SJ for the occasion. Bishop Joe’s 88-year-old father, John, sang the solo part. He flew up with Bishop Joe’s mother and family from Melbourne to support his son.
Bishop Joe said he was both humbled and excited by the Pope’s decision to appoint him to the role and by the messages of support he has received.
“I’ve dedicated my life as a priest to trying to help those in need, and to bringing the real presence of Jesus Christ to everyone who has wanted or needed his support and guidance,” Bishop Joe said.
“My new role here in Far North Queensland brings me to one of the most beautiful parts of God’s creation, to do all I can to bring Christ’s message to those who live, visit and holiday here.
“The Catholic Church is a major provider of education and social services and support in the Diocese of Cairns, impacting the lives of thousands of people each week.
“I will make it a priority to get around the diocese as soon as I can, to meet not just Catholics or people attending our schools and support services, but all who are open to the Christian message of love of God and of each other, and who put this into practice,” he said.
Bishop Joe Caddy was born and raised in Melbourne. He holds a Bachelor of Theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity and degrees in Social Sciences from the Gregorian University in Rome, where he studied Catholic social teaching, social ethics and economics.
He served as CEO of CatholicCare (Greater Melbourne, Geelong and Gippsland) from 2004 to 2017, and was engaged in Victorian and national policy and program development in the areas of homelessness, youth justice, refugee and asylum seekers, disaster response, drug and alcohol treatment and local government.
In June 2018, he was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list when he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division for “significant service to the community through a wide range of social welfare initiatives and policy reforms, and to the Catholic Church in Australia”.
