How curiosity led to a calling: Australia’s first Filipino Bishop reflects on his religious journey

Then Father Rene Ramirez arrived in Australia in September 2015. In November 2024, the late Pope Francis appointed Ramirez and Father Thinh Xuan Nguyen as auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The two were consecrated as bishops on 1 February 2025 at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne. Credit: Annalyn Violata

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Driven by curiosity, Fr Rene Ramirez RCJ — the first Filipino bishop appointed in Australia — entered the seminary in the Philippines at just the age of 16. His profound interest in theology solidified his vocation to the priesthood.

Key Points

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, approximately 79% of the Philippine population — or over 85 million people — identify as Catholic.
Bishop Rene Ramirez RCJ has been in Australia for 10 years. In February 2025, he became the first Filipino to be appointed as a Bishop in Australia.
Naniniwala si Bishop Ramirez na dala ng mga Pilipino ang kanilang pananampalataya saanman sila sa mundo.

"I never thought that it was my calling. It all just started with curiosity. We went there [in the seminary] and we wanted to see how the seminarians are living," reveals Bishop Ramirez.

"The first week of experience was free. And then we liked it. We thought there was nothing to lose. We would only be studying.

We liked the first year. Then the next year, and after a few years, we thought, we've been here for quite a while, and we thought, maybe this is it. Priesthood is for us."

Bishop Rene Ramirez, together with other priests, led a special mass at Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Church in Chatswood in late April 2025 during a visit to Sydney. Credit: Annalyn Violata

Originally from Gapan, Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon, Bishop Ramirez joined the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus, professed his solemn vows in 1995, and was ordained a priest on June 27, 1998.

For Bishop Ramirez, the journey was one of gradual revelation. “It was only after 10 years that we made our final vows,” he recalled.

I don't think anybody would be able to surely say Priesthood is for me on the first day alone. It was like a courting relationship. I thought the Church and I were compatible, as I had been doing it for some years already.
Bishop Rene Ramirez RCJ

After a decade marked by trials and moments of solitude, he emerged with clarity and conviction, confident that the priesthood was indeed his true calling.

He held various roles at Rogationist College in Cavite City before moving to Rome in 2003 for further studies, returning to the Philippines in 2006.

In September 2015, he relocated to Australia, serving in several parishes across the Archdiocese of Melbourne. He later moved to the Diocese of Sandhurst in Shepparton, Victoria, where he worked to establish a presence for his congregation.

The late Pope Francis announced on 8 November 2024 the appointment of Bishop Ramirez, along with Father Thinh Xuan Nguyen, as auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Both were consecrated on February 1, 2025, in a ceremony held at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne.

Bishop Ramirez believes that Filipinos carry their faith with them wherever they go. As he continues his ministry, he remains hopeful that Filipino Catholics will stay engaged and committed to their spiritual life, no matter where they are in the world.

“We shouldn’t be content with just rituals and devotions,” he says. “We need to deepen our understanding by learning more about what we believe.”

He encourages the faithful to ask questions. “I always tell people to ask ‘why’—why we do what we do,” he reiterates. “We shouldn’t be afraid to question or explore our faith. It’s healthy to enrich our faith, and it helps us grow spiritually.”