Rene Ramirez (bishop)

Rene Ramirez RCJ is a Filipino-born Australian bishop of the Catholic Church and a member of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus. He is an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Early life

Ramirez was born in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. He entered the Rogationists in 1985 at the age of 16. He made solemn vows in 1995 and was ordained a priest on 27 June 1998.

Priesthood

Following his ordination, Ramirez became the vocations director for his congregation in the Philippines. He then served as administrator, treasurer and Vice-Rector at Rogationist College in Cavite City. In 2003, he moved to Rome to complete licentiate studies in spirituality and earn a diploma in Social Communications from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He returned to the Philippines in 2006 and served in various roles within the Rogationists.
He moved to Australia in 2015 and served the parishes of West Footscray, Maidstone, and Braybrook within the Archdiocese of Melbourne. In 2023, he moved to the Diocese of Sandhurst to help his congregation establish a presence there.

Episcopal ministry

On 8 November 2024, Pope Francis announced his appointment of Ramirez and Father Thinh Xuan Nguyen as auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The pair were consecrated bishops on 1 February 2025 at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne. The principal consecrator was Archbishop Peter A Comensoli, while Bishop Gregory Bennet of Sale and Bishop Shane Mackinlay of Sandhurst were co-consecrators.