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Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On October 25, the Holy Father appointed the Reverend Richard Philip James Laurenson, of the clergy of Hamilton, until now parish priest of the All Saints by the Sea parish in Papamoa Coast and diocesan chancellor, as bishop of the diocese of Hamilton, New Zealand.
Msgr. Richard Philip James Laurenson was born on 4 July 1968 in Hamilton. He attended the Holy Cross Major Seminary in Mosgiel, in the diocese of Dunedin, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in theology from the University of Otago.
He was ordained a priest on 12 August 1995 for the diocese of Hamilton.
Following ordination, he was parish vicar of Saint Mary in Rotorua (1995-1998), and served with the Peace-keeping forces in Bougainville (1997-1998). He was then parish vicar of Saint Mary Immaculate in Tauranga (1998-1999); parish administrator of Saint Pius X in Melville (1999-2000); and parish priest of Saint Joseph in Whaihi (2000-2006). After obtaining a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome (2007-2010), he went on to serve as parish priest of Immaculate Conception in Taumarunui (2006-2007), Saint Matthew in Hillcrest (2010-2011), Saint Joseph in Fairfield (2010-2015) and Saint Peter Chanel in Te Rapa (2010-2011 and 2013-2015); vicar general (2013-2014); diocesan administrator of the diocese of Hamilton (2014- 2015); vicar general and at the same time administrator of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral and of the parishes of Saint Joseph, Saint Matthew and Saint Peter Chanel (2016-2019); parish priest of Holy Cross in Hamilton North and adjunct judicial vicar of the Tribunal of the Catholic Church for New Zealand (2019-2021).
He is a member of the College of Consultors and defender of the matrimonial bond at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal.
From 2014 to the present, he has served as diocesan chancellor and, since 2021, parish priest of All Saints by the Sea in Papamoa Coast. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 25/10/2023)
