Bishop of Armidale
Msgr. Peter Mel Murphy was born on 28 June 1961 in Benalla, Victoria, in the diocese of Sandhurst. He was ordained a priest on 11 July 1992 for the diocese of Wagga Wagga. After ordination, he held the roles of professor at the seminary of Wagga Wagga (1992-2000), parish vicar in South Wagga (1992-1994), vice rector of the seminary of Wagga Wagga (1994-1997), and parish priest in Lockhart (1997-2000). He studied in Rome and served at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (2000-2002), and went on to hold the offices of parish priest in Tumbarumba (2002-2007), teacher at the seminary of Wagga Wagga (since 2002), parish priest in Albury-Lavington (since 2007), member of the College of Consultors, member of the Personnel Board, dean of the deanery of Murray and chair of the Presbyteral Council (since 2021), vicar general, member of the diocesan Council for Ecoomic Affairs and the diocesan Committee for Safeguarding (since 2022). In addition, in 2022, he participated in the Fifth Plenary Council of the Catholic Church in Australia. He has also been diocesan director for vocations and youth, chaplain at Charles Stuart University in Wagga Wagga, and lecturer at the Pontifical “John Paul II” Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Science in Melbourne.