Appointment of bishop of Wagga Wagga, Australia

Appointment of bishop of San Felipe, Chile

Appointment of auxiliary of Santiago de Chile, Chile

Appointment of auxiliary of Alba Iulia, Romania

Appointment of bishop of Wagga Wagga, Australia

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Mark Stuart Edwards, O.M.I., as bishop of the diocese of Wagga Wagga, Australia, transferring him from the titular see of Garba and the office of auxiliary of the metropolitan archdiocese of Melbourne.

Bishop Mark Stuart Edwards, O.M.I.

Bishop Mark Stuart Edwards, O.M.I., was born in Balikpapan, Indonesia, in 1959. He moved to Australia in 1962. After attending Saint Leonard’s Primary School in Glen Waverley and Mazenod College in Mulgrave. In 1980 he entered the noviciate of the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate and carried out his ecclesiastical studies at the Catholic Theological College of Melbourne and the Melbourne College of Divinity. He was ordained a priest in 1986 in Melbourne.

After priestly ordination he continued his formation at the Monash University of Melbourne, where he was awarded a doctorate in philosophy and a bachelor’s degree in letters and in education.

In the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate he held the following offices: professor at the Mazenod College of Mulgrave (1986-1989); vice-rector of the Iona College of Brisbane (1990-1997); master of aspirants at Saint Mary’s Seminary in Mulgrave (1998-2004); master of novices at Saint Mary’s Seminary in Mulgrave (2004-2007); professor at the Catholic Theological College of Melbourne (2005-2010); head of Scholastics at Saint Mary’s Seminary in Mulgrave (2007-2010); rector of the Iona College of Lindum Brisbane (since 2010). In the years 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010 he was elected as provincial counsellor of the Australian province of the Oblate Missionaries.

He was elected to the titular Church of Garba and appointed as auxiliary bishop of Melbourne on 7 November 2014, and consecrated the following 17 December.

Within the Australian Episcopal Conference he is a member of the Committee for Catholic Education.

Appointment of bishop of San Felipe, Chile

The Holy Father has appointed as bishop of San Felipe, Chile, the Reverend Gonzalo Arturo Bravo Salazar, of the clergy of the diocese of Valparaíso, currently parish priest of the El Salvador del Mundo parish in La Matriz - Valparaíso and dean of the Ecclesiastical Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso.

Reverend Gonzalo Arturo Bravo Salazar

The Reverend Gonzalo Arturo Bravo Salazar was born in Valparaíso, Chile, on 30 December 1962. Before entering the seminary he obtained a licentiate in Ciencias Básicas de la Ingeniería and the title of civil engineer at the Federico Santa María Technical University of Valparaíso. He completed his philosophical and theological studies at the San Rafael major seminary of Valparaíso. He obtained his bachelor's degree in theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, and his licentiate and doctorate in biblical theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome.

He received priestly ordination on 12 October 1997, and was incardinated in the diocese of Valparaíso.

He subsequently held the following positions: parish vicar of the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores parish in Viña del Mar, Parish Administrator of the Jesús Buen Pastor parish in Valparaíso, professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, diocesan vicar for economic affairs, since 2008 parish priest of the El Salvador del Mundo parish in La Matriz - Valparaíso and, since 2019, dean of the Ecclesiastical Faculty of Theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso.

Appointment of auxiliary of Santiago de Chile, Chile

The Holy Father has appointed as auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Santiago de Chile, Chile, the Reverend Julio Esteban Larrondo Yáñez, of the clergy of the same archdiocese, currently parish priest of the Nuestra Señora de Lourdes parish and episcopal vicar of the southern area of Santiago, assigning him the titular episcopal see of Magarmel.

Reverend Julio Esteban Larrondo Yáñez

The Reverend Julio Esteban Larrondo Yáñez was born in Santiago, Chile, on 23 August 1959. He completed his philosophical and theological studies at the major seminary of the archdiocese of Santiago de Chile.

He received priestly ordination on 12 December 1992, incardinated in the metropolitan archdiocese of Santiago de Chile.

He has held the following offices: parish vicar of the Saint Gabriel parish, dean of the Obispo Enrique Alvear deanery, parish priest of the Saint Gabriel Parish, formator of the Pontifical Major Seminary of Santiago, parish priest of the Jesús de Nazareth parish, dean of the Alberto Hurtado deanery, member of the team of the vicariate for the clergy, parish priest of the San Luis Bertrán parish and, since 2020, parish priest of the Nuestra Señora de Lourdes parish and episcopal vicar of the southern area of Santiago.

Appointment of auxiliary of Alba Iulia, Romania

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend László Kerekes as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Alba Iulia, Romania, assigning him the titular see of Tharros. Reverend Kerekes, of the clergy of the same archdiocese, is currently parish priest of the “Blessed Eusebio” parish in Târgu Secuiesc.

Reverend László Kerekes

The Reverend László Kerekes was born on 23 July 1968 in Ghelinţa, Gelence, in the archdiocese of Alba Iulia. From 1984 to 1986 he studied at the School of Cantors (minor seminary) in Alba Iulia. Between 1986 and 1987 he completed his military service.

From 1987 to 1990 he studied at the Roman Catholic Theological Institute of Alba Iulia; from 1990 to 1992 he continued his studies at the Theological Academy and the Central Seminary of Budapest in Hungary.

He was ordained a priest on 16 May 1993 in his parish of origin in Ghelinţa in the archdiocese of Alba Iulia, by the then auxiliary Bishop Jakubinyi.

From 1992 to 1994 he obtained a licentiate in canon law, and then, from 2000 to 2004, a doctorate at Saint Paul Catholic University in Ottawa, Canada, working simultaneously with the parish of Saint Ignatius of Antioch for Hungarian-speaking faithful. From 1994 to 2000 he carried out pastoral duties as prefect of discipline, professor of canon law and rhetoric (homiletics) at the major seminary of Alba Iulia and also as officer at the ecclesiastical marriage tribunal.

Since 2004 he is parish priest of the “Blessed Eusebio” parish in Târgu Secuiesc. He is also a member of the presbyteral council and the ecclesiastical tribunal of Alba Iulia.