Parishioners share joy at Bishop Mark’s ordination

By Wendy Shaw

The ordination of Bishop Mark Freeman as the Ninth Bishop of Ballarat on 19 March was cause for great celebration throughout the Archdiocese of Hobart.

Many family, friends and the faithful travelled from Tasmania to Ballarat for the occasion, while others watched the livestream from home or with fellow parishioners at gatherings at either end of the state.

Bishop Mark is only the second Tasmanian-born priest to be appointed a bishop or archbishop. The other is Emeritus Archbishop Adrian Doyle.

Bishop Mark was serving as Parish Priest of Bellerive-Lindisfarne when the announcement of the Ballarat appointment was made.

Parish secretary Allison Muir said about 50 people gathered at Corpus Christi Church, Bellerive, to watch the livestream of the episcopal Ordination and Installation.

“It went really well,” she said.

“It was wonderful. I have never seen anything like it.”

Parishioner Jim Fitzgerald agreed.

“It was a very joyous occasion with everyone excited to be able to watch the elevation of our former Parish Priest to the role of bishop” Mr Fitzgerald said.

“The ceremony was beautiful with some excellent choristers and in such a lovely setting at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Ballarat. It was great to see that many of Fr Mark’s family were able to attend and take part.

“While I was disappointed that I could not be there in person in Ballarat, watching the livestream in the company of other parishioners in our own church was a wonderful way to be involved.”

Bishop Mark grew up in Launceston, was baptised at St Finn Barr’s Church, Invermay, celebrated his first Mass as a newly ordained priest there in 1984, and his final Mass as a priest of the Archdiocese at the same church in March. He was Launceston Parish’s assistant priest from 1988 to 1990 and Parish Priest from 2010 to 2023.

Launceston parishioner Tina Ritchie was among those who gathered at the Parish Pastoral Centre, next to the Church of the Apostles, to watch the ordination livestream. Bishop Mark went to school with Tina’s younger brother, and Tina did personal ironing for the priests for many years.

 “It was just amazing,” she said of the Ordination.

“And it probably won’t happen again in my lifetime. It was emotional too [watching] one of our boys from Launceston. I was really touched that in his speech afterwards he got straight to the point—that he is there for the people.”

Launceston parishioner Kathy Cuthbertson travelled to Ballarat for the ordination. She described it as a happy, joyful, emotional occasion.

“It went for two and a half hours, and I did not realise that at the time,” she said.

“I was so caught up in the moment.”

Another Launceston parishioner, Maree Wright, watched the livestream from home.

“It was a privilege to be able to watch it,” she said. “I felt quite emotional. It was a beautiful service with so many familiar people there [from Tasmania], together with the bishops and priests. It was a lovely celebration.”