Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Melbourne's Bishop Hilton Deakin retires

Pope Benedict has approved the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Hilton Deakin, who reached the designated retirement age of 75 yesterday.

A statement from the Apostolic Nunciature in Canberra last night announced that the Holy Father had accepted Bishop Deakin's resignation, effective yesterday.

Born in Seymour, Victoria, on 13 November 1932, Bishop Deakin was ordained a priest by Archbishop Justin Simonds at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, in 1958.

In 1987 he became Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, and was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne on 3 March 1993.

His career highlights include the co-ordination of the Aboriginal section - including an Aboriginal liturgy which was a world first - during the Eucharistic Congress in 1973, a research project for the Bishops' Conference on Aborigines and a doctoral thesis in 1977.

Bishop Deakin was appointed chairman of the board of management of Kairos Catholic Journal and was involved in the formation of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in 1991.

He was also a passionate advocate for East Timorese and, more recently, West Papuans.
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