The Diocese of Ballarat has welcomed the appointment of Fr Mark William Freeman as the ninth Bishop of Ballarat. Pope Leo XIV announced the appointment in Rome on Wednesday, 7 January, 2026. Fr Freeman, 66, currently serves as Parish Priest in Bellerive-Lindisfarne, in the Archdiocese of Hobart. His Episcopal Ordination is set for 19 March.
Australia’s recently appointed bishops gathered in Canberra recently to attend a Seminar for New Bishops in a Synodal Way.
Long time supporter and contributor to The Swag, Fr. Kerry Costigan, now retired after 60 years ministry has supplied the following reflection expressing some reservations about the promotional slogan often quoted by the NCP: “We are priests best when we are priests together”.
A new study has found Catholic clergy in Australia have a strong sense of wellbeing – but has recommended further work on ways to support them.
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is releasing two Social Justice Statements this year. The first statement: The Cost of Our Living: Economic and Social Justice for the Common Good, was released on February 9. In it, Australia’s bishops urge courage and tenderness in addressing the nation’s cost-of-living crisis.
