BISHOP Ken Howell was Tuesday installed as the Seventh Bishop of Toowoomba, inside a full St Patrick’s Cathedral in the heart of Queenland’s Garden City.
A priest in Brisbane for the last four decades, 65-year-old Bishop Howell was officially welcomed to the Toowoomba Diocese that stretches across the south west of the state at a liturgical reception that included some 25 archbishops and bishops and more than 80 clergy.
Civic and community leaders, parish delegates from across the diocese and inter-faith representatives were also present.
The celebration linked the diocese’s past to the present and future of the diocese.
The date (July 11) has special significance with Bishop Robert McGuckin’s ordination as the Sixth Bishop of Toowoomba held on the same date 11 years ago.
Bishop McGuckin, with Bishop William Morris, the Fifth Bishop of Toowoomba, presented Bishop Howell with the crosier of the First Bishop of Toowoomba, Bishop James Byrne.
The installation began with a procession of clergy.
Bishop Howell, joined by St Patrick’s dean, Fr Michael O’Brien, and Deacon Andrew O’Brien, were greeted on the cathedral steps by a local First Nations People representative offering a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country.
Inside the cathedral, Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge, called for the Apostolic Decree to be read and followed with some words of insight about Bishop Howell and his 40 years of service as a priest in Brisbane
“He leaves the diocese of his birth, baptism, education and ordination… a man who is Brisbane to the core but who must now learn to love another diocese which will surely learn to love him.
“Ken is a true man of the Church, which is bigger than any diocese.
“He’s no ideologue or self promoter. [He is] a good driver in heavy traffic, a believer and in the end a human being.
“He has been ours and he will always be part of our story. But he is now yours, Toowoomba – as fine a gift as Brisbane could give.”
During the service, representatives from the Toowoomba Diocese, its ministries, and other faiths came forward to welcome Bishop Howell.
“I am deeply humbled to be called by Pope Francis to shepherd this local Church, and I thank him sincerely.” Bishop Howell said of his new role.
“I realise that I have been given a great responsibility to care for the faithful and to engage in the life of the broader community across the diocese.”
Delivering the homily, Bishop Howell spoke of his family links to Toowoomba and the state’s south west region.
“From my childhood, stories of my father growing in Oakey, were a part of our family’s story,” he said.
“His sister settled with her husband in Jandowae, and memories of our visits to that town were very happy moments.
“My cousins continue to live both here in Toowoomba and Jandowae.
“On my mother’s side of the family there are also rich connections – from a great grandfather who ran the Windorah pub (God bless him)… to stories of my drover grandfather, Charlie Williams from Longreach driving 1400 cattle from the Brunette Downs in the Northern Territory through this diocese to Walgett in New South Wales.”
“I certainly treasure these connections, but they also bring home to me something of the nature of the diocese, its character, and it’s life.
“If anything it also points to the significance of the land – through droughts and floods, good times and struggle the people of the land have persevered.
“Our indigenous brothers and sisters have cared for this land from the beginning, and they continue to show us how we must use this land with respect and gratitude.”
Bishop Howell said he didn’t underestimate the “people of faith” in the life of the Toowoomba Diocese.
“Yours has been the story of contributing to the various communities for well over 100 years,” he said.
“The people of God have shared their gifts with the communities and at times have stood up and been counted with the building of faith communities, their churches and schools and the many services that the local Church offers for the common good.
“For me, now is the time to learn more about your life, and to grow in a deeper appreciation of the great history of times, places and people.
“My first task is to get to know you and to do as Pope Francis urges us to do to listen deeply to your story and grow in love of the people entrusted to my care.”
Bishop Howell was born in 1958, the son of Jack and Betty Howell and brother to Rodney, Janet and Gavin.
He attended St Columba’s Primary School, Wilston and St James College, Fortitude Valley, and joined Queensland Rail after his school years, working as a clerk in the Chief Engineers Office.
In 1977, he entered Pius XII Regional Seminary at Banyo and was ordained a priest on 24 June 1983.
From 1983 to 1994, he served as an assistant priest in the parishes of Noosa Districts and Burleigh Heads and at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane.
Between 1994 and 1997, Bishop Howell completed a Licentiate in Sacred Liturgy at the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome.
He served as secretary to Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane from 1997 to 2010 during which he also served as associate pastor and director of worship at St Stephen’s Cathedral between 1997 and 2005, as dean of the cathedral between 2006 and 2012 and as vice rector of the Holy Spirit Seminary between 2002 and 2008.
In 2009, undertook a concurrent appointment as Administrator of St Mary’s Parish, South Brisbane.
In 2013 Bishop Howell was appointed as a parish priest in Burleigh Heads.
On 14 June 2017, he was ordained as an auxiliary bishop of Brisbane and since then has served as secretary for the Queensland Bishops, and parish priest for Kangaroo Point East Brisbane Parish.