William Joseph Wright (26 October 1952 13 November 2021) was the eighth bishop of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is a suffragan Latin Church diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1847 initially as the Diocese of Maitland and changed to the current name in 1995. The diocese covers the Hunter and Mid North Coa ...

in Australia. He was consecrated on 15 June 2011. Cardinal

George Pell George Pell (born 8 June 1941) is an Australian cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as the inaugural prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy between 2014 and 2019, and was a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers between 2013 ...

, two dozen priests, bishops and hundreds of parishioners packed the Sacred Heart Cathedral in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, for his consecration as bishop. On 15 September 2021, Wright announced that he had submitted his resignation to Pope Francis on the grounds of ill health. He died of terminal lung cancer on 13 November 2021.

Life and career

Wright was born on 26 October 1952 in Washington DC, shortly before his family returned to Australia. He went to school at St Aloysius' College in Sydney and

Wimbledon College Wimbledon College is a government-maintained, voluntary-aided, Jesuit Roman Catholic secondary school and sixth form for boys aged 11 to 19 in Wimbledon, London. The college was founded in 1892 "for improvement in living and learning for the g ...

in London, England. His studies for the priesthood were at St Columba's College in Springwood and St Patrick's College in Manly. He later took his BA (Hons) at Sydney University. Wright was ordained a deacon in 1976 and to the priesthood in 1977. As a priest, he served the parishes of Stanmore, Mount Druitt, Fairfield, Enmore, Dulwich Hill, Bonnyrigg, Moree, Sutherland and Liverpool. He was vice-rector of St Patrick's College in Manly (1985–1991) and assistant secretary to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in Canberra in 1995. Wright was ordained as Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle on 15 June 2011. As a bishop, he served as the co-chair of the National Committee for Professional Standards. He served on the Truth Justice and Healing Council as well as several Australian bishops' commissions, including Church Ministry, Ecumenism and Inter-Religious Relations, Evangelization, Laity, and Ministry, and Social Justice, Mission and Service. He was also Chair of the Bishops Commission for Professional Standards and Safeguarding. In September 2021, Wright submitted his resignation to Pope Francis due to illness with lung cancer. He died on 13 November 2021 at Maitland Hospital.

References

External links

* 1952 births 2021 deaths American expatriates in Australia Bishops appointed by Pope Benedict XVI Roman Catholic bishops of Maitland-Newcastle Deaths from lung cancer Deaths from cancer in Australia Religious leaders from Washington, D.C. {{Australia-bishop-stub