FR JOHN ADAMS NAMED PN'S BISHOP

 

 

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Bishop-elect John Adams

Deo gratias. What more can one say as an initial reaction to the very belated, much anticipated, announcement at 10 pm yesterday (New Zealand time), of a bishop for the Diocese of Palmerston North?

A lot more, actually. But nothing could be more important, on this page, than Bishop-elect John Adams'  stated intention to restore the Mass of Ages, the Usus Antiquior, the Traditional, Tridentine Latin Mass, to the benighted diocese of Palmerston North.

And it's auspicious that Rome - at last - announced his appointment on the Vigil of the Solemnity of the Nativity of the new bishop's namesake, St John the Baptist. Unlike the second US president (a Protestant of course), this John Adams is a Catholic priest, of the Diocese of Christchurch exclusively. A son of Christchurch, born bred and educated, and now serving as pastor of St Peter Chanel Parish, Waimakariri. 

A latish vocation - he's sixty and was ordained as a priest in 2003, after some years teaching. His only OE appears to have been in Sydney where he received an Advanced Diploma in Theology.

He plays golf (with Bishop Michael Gielen). He has a rescue cat called Joseph and wants a home for him in Palmerston North because the Bishop-elect isn't expecting to be sitting around home much.

He has a reputation for energy and orthodoxy. He's good at identifying and encouraging vocations to the religious life. He goes to the Hearts Aflame Summer Schools where he's in good company, and is into Alpha - which although it's Anglican in origin has brought not a few Catholics back to the Church, including one who at the time of her Alpha experience as a bog-standard Novus Ordo-ite called herself  'a pagan' . 

Bishop-elect Adams is also keen on something called 'Divine Renovation' - a tool for parish renewal which emphasises PRAYER, and leadership by service, and EVANGELISATION. https://youtu.be/RqkYduHQF8U

Actually, at least a couple of other dioceses ('ugly blisters'?) are looking at Palmerston North now with something like envy. Poor old Palmy, for nearly four years the Cinderella of the dioceses, now looks like she's off to the ball. 

A reader of this blog wishes to thank a few interested parties, namely Ss Josaphat, Athanasius, Anselm, Irenaeus, Cyril of Jerusalem, Basil, Blaise, Boniface and Manuel Garcia. Other readers who know a thing or two will identify most of these as Martyr Bishops - who have heeded months if not years of daily prayer for their intercession for a holy bishop for Palmerston North. 

Bishop-elect Adams would doubtless like their intercession to continue, for the same intention. We recommend him to your prayers.

 

Pope Francis has appointed Father John Adams from the Diocese of Christchurch as the new Catholic Bishop of Palmerston North.

The appointment was announced in Rome at 10pm New Zealand time, Thursday 22 June.

Ordained as a priest in 2003, Christchurch-born Bishop-elect Adams is the parish priest of St Peter Chanel Parish in North Canterbury. He is a trained teacher who has served as the Christchurch Diocese Vicar for Education since 2013 and the chair of the diocesan Council of Priests since 2015.

"I was initially surprised but then joyful to hear, just over a week ago, about the invitation to become the next Catholic Bishop of Palmerston North,” says Bishop-elect Adams.

“Whilst I am saddened that my very happy and fulfilled days in the Diocese of Christchurch will soon come to an end, I have experienced God's providence in my life enough to know that the power of his grace is not limited by location. Surely, we now live in a time that urgently needs to hear the 'good news' of the Gospel.

“To the people of the Palmerston North diocese, I want to say that my prayers for you have already begun, and I am looking forward to living and sharing with you that same 'good news'," said Bishop-elect Adams.

The President of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference, Bishop of Auckland Stephen Lowe, warmly welcomed the Pope’s announcement.

“We are delighted with Fr John’s appointment as the new Bishop of Palmerston North,” says Bishop Lowe. “Bishop-elect John is a loved parish priest who will bring a rich experience of pastoral and spiritual leadership to his new diocese. We look forward to sharing with the people of the diocese in the ordination of their new shepherd.”

A date is yet to be set for the ordination of Bishop-elect Adams, but it is likely to be by the end of September.

His appointment fills a vacancy created by the resignation of Bishop Charles Drennan as Bishop of Palmerston North in 2019.

https://catholic.org.nz/news/media-releases/bja-appointed/

 

Les Disciples
Eugene Burnand

"Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world"

-Matthew 28: 19,20