The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has welcomed the appointment by Pope Francis this evening of a new Bishop of Armidale.

The Reverend Dr Peter Murphy is currently the parish administrator of St Michael’s Cathedral, Wagga Wagga, and Vicar General of the Diocese of Wagga Wagga.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, welcomed the appointment.

“It is with great joy we welcome the appointment of Fr Peter as Bishop of Armidale,” Archbishop Costelloe said.

“His involvement in the vocations ministry, his experience in fostering the faith of young people and his compassionate leadership in the areas of family and marriage will be of great value to the diocese and wider Church.

“We look forward to welcoming him into the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.”

Fr Peter studied agriculture and worked as a field agronomist in Melbourne before entering the seminary.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Angelicum and a licentiate in theology from the Urban University in Rome.

Following postgraduate studies, he was ordained priest on July 11, 1992, at St Michael’s Cathedral, Wagga Wagga.

His first pastoral appointment was to Our Lady of Fatima parish, South Wagga.

Fr Peter then moved to Vianney College as vice rector of the diocesan seminary, where he has taught philosophy and moral theology for 30 years, in addition to being a visiting lecturer for the John Paul II Institute on Marriage and the Family.

While completing his doctoral studies in theology in Rome, he worked as an official at the Congregation of the Missions for two years.

Over his 32 years of priesthood, he has been a parish priest in three towns: Lockhart, Tumbarumba and Lavington.