Diocesan News
The Diocese of Ballarat joyfully announces the ordination and installation of Fr Mark Freeman as the Ninth Bishop of Ballarat, held on Thursday, March 19 at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Ballarat. The celebration brought together bishops, clergy, parish representatives, ecumenical guests, civic representatives, and members of the wider community to witness this significant moment in the life of the Church.
The ordination and installation were led by Archbishop Peter A Comensoli with assisting bishops from all over Australia. In addition to around these 500 people packing St Patrick’s Cathedral, the ceremony was livestreamed to hundreds of people across the country.
In accordance with the traditions of the Church, the ceremony included the laying on of hands, prayers of consecration, and the formal seating of Bishop Freeman in the cathedra, symbolising the beginning of episcopal leadership in the diocese. “I am deeply humbled by the trust placed in me and grateful for the prayers and support of this community,” Bishop Mark said. “Together, we are called to serve with faith, hope, and love, proclaiming compassion, courage and justice in the world”.
A lovely moment during the ceremony was the warm and heartfelt welcome extended to Bishop Mark by the many different groups within the diocese. Representatives came forward as a visible sign of the rich diversity and shared life of the diocesan community, each offering their greeting with joy and respect. This gesture highlighted the spirit of unity, collaboration, and mutual support that defines the diocese, and set a gracious tone for Bishop Mark’s ministry among the people he is called to serve.
During his address, Bishop Mark spoke words of gratitude and appreciation. He acknowledged and greeted all the People of God in the Ballarat diocese, asking them to teach him how to be their bishop. “Every time I have begun a new appointment, I have said to the community that you are the people whom God has given me to love. As I begin this new ministry among you, I say the same to the whole diocese, people and priests of Ballarat – You are the people whom God has given me to love. As I received this ring during today’s Mass, I made that commitment with all my heart.”
Bishop Mark acknowledged Bishop Paul Bird and said “It is an honour to succeed you as Bishop of Ballarat. It’s a vibrant local Church that I have been called to serve as bishop. It has been cared for and guided by a true servant leader. You have set the bar high, and I thank you.”
Bishop Mark was born and raised in Tasmania, his journey from a Launceston childhood to episcopal leadership has been shaped by early stirrings of vocation, formative mentors and a lifetime of sacramental ministry across Tasmania.
After completing secondary school, he entered Corpus Christi College in Clayton, Victoria, where he found joy, strong friendships and growing clarity about his vocation. A defining influence was Archbishop Guilford Young, who guided and encouraged him throughout his formation. “He really encouraged people to use their gifts well,” Fr Mark said. He would become the last priest ordained by Archbishop Young.
Bishop Mark has served as Vicar General for both Archbishop Adrian Doyle and Archbishop Julian Porteous, along with being appointed Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Hobart and most recently, before his appointment as Bishop of Ballarat, Archbishop Tony Ireland appointed him Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia. Each of these appointments reflect the trust placed in his pastoral wisdom and administrative ability.
His priesthood has been defined by sacramental ministry—celebrating Masses, baptisms, weddings, First Communion Masses, confirmations, and hearing confessions. He sees these moments as the heart of his vocation. “You are really ministering the presence of Christ,” he explains.
Bishop Mark follows Bishop Paul Bird who turned 75 in 2024 and offered his resignation but was asked to stay on until a successor could be found. On January 7, 2026, Pope Leo appointed Fr Mark Freeman to be the new Bishop of Ballarat.
The Catholic Diocese of Ballarat is a diverse and geographically extensive Diocese of twenty-three parishes which covers the western third of Victoria, extending from the Murray River in the North to the Southern Ocean. To the west it is bounded by the Archdiocese of Adelaide and the Diocese of Port Pirie, to the north by the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes and to the east by the Diocese of Sandhurst and the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
New Bishop for Ballarat
The Diocese of Ballarat has welcomed the appointment of Fr Mark William Freeman as the ninth Bishop of Ballarat. Pope Leo XIV announced the appointment in Rome on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Fr Freeman, 66, currently serves as Parish Priest in Bellerive-Lindisfarne, in the Archdiocese of Hobart.
Bishop Elect Mark Freeman
Fr Mark Freeman, newly appointed as the ninth Bishop of Ballarat, has spent more than four decades as a priest marked by pastoral dedication, deep faith, and a spirituality centred on intimacy with Christ. His journey from a Launceston childhood to episcopal leadership has been shaped by early stirrings of vocation, formative mentors and a lifetime of sacramental ministry across Tasmania.
Born and raised in Launceston as one of six children, Mark William Freeman was baptised at St Finn Barr’s Church, Invermay—the same church where, years later, he would be ordained to the priesthood. His earliest sense of calling emerged at around five or six years old when a local Religious Sister asked him to ring the consecration bell at Sunday Mass in the Ravenswood Memorial Hall. That small but significant moment opened his heart to the possibility of priesthood.
He soon became a regular altar server, watching closely as priests celebrated the Eucharist. “I remember thinking, I could do this,” he recalls. Remarkably, his desire to become a priest never wavered, even through adolescence.
After completing secondary school, he entered Corpus Christi College in Clayton, Victoria, where he found joy, strong friendships and growing clarity about his vocation.
A defining influence was Archbishop Guilford Young, who guided and encouraged him throughout his formation. “He really encouraged people to use their gifts well,” Fr Mark said. He would become the last priest ordained by Archbishop Young.
On 24 August 1984, St Finn Barr’s—his baptismal parish—was filled to capacity as Fr Mark was ordained. In his homily, Archbishop Young spoke of St John resting his head on Christ’s breast at the Last Supper, teaching that the heart of priesthood is intimacy with Christ. This message would become the guiding principle of Fr Mark’s entire ministry. “It’s not about running the show or propping up the institution,” he says. “First and foremost, it is about closeness with Christ.”
Following his ordination, Fr Mark’s first appointment was as Assistant Priest in Bellerive, where he now serves as Parish Priest. His ministry subsequently took him across Tasmania, serving in Launceston, Kingston Channel, the West Coast, South Hobart, Ulverstone, Mersey Leven, and the Huon Valley. He later returned to Launceston for a significant 12 year period from 2010 to 2022 before once again taking up leadership in Bellerive Lindisfarne.
From 2005 – 2017 Fr Mark served as Vicar General for both Archbishop Adrian Doyle and Archbishop Julian Porteous. In 2023, he was appointed Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Hobart and recently, in December 2025, Archbishop Tony Ireland appointed him Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia. Each of these appointments reflect the trust placed in his pastoral wisdom and administrative ability.
His priesthood has been defined by sacramental ministry—celebrating Masses, baptisms, weddings, First Communion Masses, confirmations, and hearing confessions. He sees these moments as the heart of his vocation. “You are really ministering the presence of Christ,” he explains. He recalls times in the confessional when the right words came unexpectedly: “I wonder where they came from?… I think they came from God.”
Appointed Bishop of Ballarat
On January 7, 2026, Pope Leo XIV announced Fr Mark Freeman’s appointment as the ninth Bishop of Ballarat, succeeding Bishop Paul Bird CSsR, who has led the diocese since 2012.
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference warmly welcomed the announcement. Conference President Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB said Fr Freeman’s combination of pastoral experience and administrative leadership has prepared him well for episcopal ministry. “His wide experience and many gifts, his deep faith and his pastoral sensitivity will be greatly valued,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
Archbishop Anthony Ireland of Hobart also praised the appointment, describing Fr Freeman as “one of Tasmania’s finest” and noting his years of dedicated service across the archdiocese and his guidance to three archbishops.
Fr Freeman will be ordained to the episcopacy and installed as Bishop of Ballarat on March 19, 2026.
A message to future priests
Reflecting on his 41 years of ministry, Bishop Elect Freeman encourages any young man sensing a call to priesthood to trust God courageously.
“Go for it,” he says. “Give of yourself completely and allow God to accompany you. Then you can be confident. When Jesus called the disciples, he wasn’t inviting them to a cosy little group—he was challenging them to take the risk.”
Through every assignment, every sacramental celebration, and now in preparation to shepherd a new diocese, his guiding conviction remains unchanged: the priesthood—and the life of faith itself—begins with a living, intimate closeness to Christ.
Bishop Paul shared the following statement :
Dear Fathers and Parishioners,
We have received news that Pope Leo XVI has appointed Fr Mark Freeman to be the next Bishop of Ballarat. The news of the appointment was officially published in Rome, in L’Osservatore Romano, today, January 7, at noon, Rome time.
Fr Freeman is currently Parish Priest of Bellerive, Tasmania. He will be ordained as Bishop of Ballarat within the next three months, probably in March.
Bishops are requested to offer their resignation from office when they turn 75. I turned 75 in July 2024 and duly offered my resignation to the Holy Father. Over the past eighteen months, the nuncio (the Pope’s representative in Australia) has coordinated a consultation process about a successor as Bishop of Ballarat.
It was announced in Rome that Pope Leo has appointed Fr Mark Freeman to be the next Bishop of Ballarat. At the same time, Pope Leo has appointed me to be Apostolic Administrator of the diocese until Fr Freeman is installed as the new bishop.
As I share this news, I look back over the years since my ordination as bishop in 2012. I offer thanks to God for the many blessings of these years, and I offer thanks to you all for your support in the care of our diocesan community. I also invite you to join me in prayer for Fr Mark as he prepares to take up this service as our bishop.