Martin Ashe

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Martin Ashe
Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne
Titular Bishop of Muteci
ArchdioceseMelbourne
SeeMuteci
Orders
Ordination11 June 1978
by Tomás Ó Fiaich
Consecration31 July 2021
by Peter Comensoli
Personal details
Born
Martin Ashe

(1953-09-27) 27 September 1953 (age 71)
DenominationCatholic Church
Alma materAll Hallows College
Loyola University Chicago
Styles of
Martin Ashe
Reference styleThe Most Reverend
Spoken styleHis Lordship or My Lord Bishop
Religious styleBishop

Martin Ashe (born 27 September 1953)[1] is an Irish-Australian Catholic bishop. He has served as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne since 2021. Prior to this, he served in various Melbourne parishes, was pastoral director at Corpus Christi College Seminary, and also director of Ministry to Priests within the Archdiocese.[2]

Early life

Ashe was born in Kinsale, a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland and grew up in Killarney, in the neighbouring County Kerry. He was the eldest of 11 children and his family life was immersed in the Catholic faith. His uncle was a priest in Australian and he had a number of cousins who were in religious congregations. He was the altar server at the local St Mary's Cathedral parish for a number of years and by the time he was 18, decided to enter the seminary.[2] He entered All Hallow College, Dublin, a seminary established for priests who would be sent overseas, in 1971.

Priesthood

He was ordained in Ireland by Archbishop Tomas O’Fiaich in June 1978, when he was 24 years old. He was immediately appointed to be a priest for the Archdiocese of Melbourne, arriving in September 1978.

He was first appointed to the Hadfield parish in Melbourne's north. He has also served as an assistant priest in parishes in Clayton and Blackburn. He served as vocations director from the late 1980s. In the 1990s, he undertook further study at Loyola University Chicago. He was moderator and then pastoral director of Corpus Christi College Seminary.[3]

From 1996 to 2004 he served as Parish Priest in Sunbury. In 2005 he was appointed director of ministry to priests in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. In 2012, he was appointed the inaugural parish priest of Christ the Light, taking in the areas of Doreen, Kinglake, Mernda and Whittlesea, where he served until his appointed as Auxiliary Bishop.[3]

Episcopate

Ashe was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney by Pope Francis on 14 May 2021 and was given the titular see of Muteci, in Algeria. He was consecrated by Archbishop Peter Comensoli on 31 July 2021 in St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne along with Anthony Ireland.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Bishop Martin Ashe". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b Basile, Fiona. "Bishop-elect Ashe: 'Christ is already there among them'". Melbourne Catholic. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b Episcopal Ordination of Most Reverend Anthony John Ireland and Most Reverend Martin Ashe Auxiliary Bishops of Melbourne. Archdiocese of Melbourne. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Two men of 'deep prayer and service' appointed auxiliary bishops for Melbourne archdiocese". The Catholic Leader. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2023.