Bishop-Elect Michael Dooley. Photo: Supplied
WelCom March 2018: Pope Francis has appointed Fr Michael Dooley as the new Bishop of the Dunedin Diocese. Bishop-Elect Michael will be the seventh Bishop of Dunedin and succeeds Bishop Colin Campbell who has served in this role for almost 14 years.
The President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference Bishop Patrick Dunn congratulated Bishop-Elect Michael saying, ‘Our prayers are with him as he prepares to take up leadership of the diocese. His affinity with the people of the Dunedin Diocese and his long service to the region of Southland and Otago make him the ideal successor for this role.’
Born in Invercargill in 1961 to Joseph Dooley and Mary Hogan, Michael attended Heddon Bush Primary School and Central Southland College. He completed an engineering apprenticeship as a fitter and turner and later graduated with a Master of Theology from Melbourne’s College of Divinity.
He was ordained in 1989. Since then he has served on the Priests’ Council, and has worked as a parish priest in Southland and Otago, a director at the Holy Cross Formation Centre, Mosgiel, Formator and Spiritual Director at Holy Cross Seminary, Auckland, and Vicar General for the Dunedin Diocese.
Bishop-Elect Michael said, ‘I am very aware of my need for God’s help and am thankful for the support of so many wonderful people over the years and into the future.’