The sound of dozens of different languages filled St Patrick’s Cathedral. Families and parishioners from every corner of the globe stood side by side. Young and old, clergy and laity, religious brothers and sisters gathered as one people, celebrating 40 years of the Diocese of Parramatta.
For Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, the celebration was more than a milestone. It was a living expression of one of the themes that has defined his episcopacy: unity in diversity.
The Diocese that St John Paul II established in 1986 has become the most culturally rich and diverse Catholic communities in Australia. Looking across the congregation, Bishop Vincent saw what he has often described as one of the Church’s greatest gifts – people from different cultures, languages and life experiences united by faith and mission.
Bishop Vincent celebrated the 120th Anniversary Mass of the laying of the foundation stone at St John the Evangelist Parish, Riverstone on Sunday 17 November 2024. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
That vision has been at the heart of his leadership since the day he was installed as the fourth Bishop of Parramatta on 16 June 2016.
To mark the 10th anniversary of his episcopacy there is much to celebrate: a decade of courageous leadership, Franciscan humility, pastoral renewal, and a commitment to building a synodal Church where everyone is welcomed, heard and has a place.
Fr Tom Green (right) is embraced by Bishop Vincent during his Mass of Ordination to the Diaconate at St Patrick’s Church, Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown in 2022. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
A bishop of surprises
Bishop Vincent’s appointment itself was historic. He is Australia’s first Asian-born bishop, and the first Vietnamese born bishop to lead a diocese outside of Vietnam.
Aa a refugee and boatperson who arrived in Australia after fleeing his homeland during the Vietnam War, a Conventual Franciscan friar and later auxiliary bishop of Melbourne, he was an interesting choice for Parramatta, some would say.
Bishop Vincent greeting parishioners Confirmations at St Bernadette’s Parish, Lalor Park. Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
But from the outset he displayed the warmth and humanity that have shaped his servant-leadership style for the last decade.
“The clergy and Catholic people of Parramatta have been waiting for long and here I am, only five feet and a half though,” he joked at his installation Mass.
“After 19 months without a bishop, you have been given one in the person of a Vietnamese Australian and a former boatperson. Perhaps, you can add my appointment to the list of surprises that Pope Francis has done,” he said.
Bishop Vincent receives a gift from Pope Francis following their Ad Limina meeting in Rome in 2019. Image: Vatican Media.
Going into the deep
His chosen motto “Duc in Altum” or “Into the Deep” from Luke 5:4 has defined his tenure at Parramatta.
This is symbolised in his Coat of Arms which features a red anchor for Christ, our refuge in times of trial and our faith journey into the deep; the Southern Cross, representing Australia; and the a gold circle for the Conventual Franciscans whose spirituality is oriented toward conformity to the poor, the suffering and the crucified Christ. Other elements include references to the flag of South Vietnam, the geography of Parramatta diocese, and the first bishop, Bede Heather.
“I am very honoured and humbled by this appointment and grateful for the opportunity to serve the Church in Parramatta during this time,” he said. A time where the diocese was at a “critical juncture.”
Bishop Vincent speaks with pilgrims during a ‘Rise Up’ session as part of World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
To lead Australia’s largest diocese outside a metropolitan centre, and one located in one of the country’s fastest-growing regions is no small task. With new faith communities emerging, secularisation increasing and the population continuing to diversify, the challenges were and still are considerable. Yet Bishop Vincent has consistently approached them with optimism, seeing his role as that of a “bridge-builder”, fostering communion across cultures, generations and experiences.
One of his favourite adages is an African one “you sit on the old mat to weave the new one” which acknowledges the “richly textured tapestry” woven by his predecessors and to use that wisdom to build, innovate, and create a better, more inclusive future.
(L-R) Fr Patrick McInerney, Director of the Columban Centre, HG Bishop Daniel, Coptic Orthodox Church, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Rabbi Zalman Kastel AM at the 2025 Diocesan Multifaith Iftar Dinner. Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
A Franciscan heart
Long before he became a bishop, Vincent Long was formed in the spirituality of St Francis of Assisi and the values of humility, fraternity, simplicity and solidarity with the poor have remained at the centre of his leadership.
“Being a Franciscan is a big part of who I am. I live, breathe and sustain my whole being with the Franciscan spirituality and values, such as simplicity, humility, availability, love of nature, solidarity with the poor and marginalised,” said Bishop Vincent with the acknowledgement “I do not always measure up to these values. Nevertheless, they inspire and shape me into the person I am today and, hopefully, the person that I am capable of becoming fully in the future.”
Bishop Vincent with students of St Finbar’s Primary School, Glenbrook at the Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) launch of the Project Compassion in 2024. Image: CSPD/Supplied
Rather than exercising authority from a distance, he has preferred a model of servant leadership rooted in accompaniment and relationship, as witnessed in his regular parish visits to simply say Mass.
Those who know him often remark on his accessibility, his attentiveness to people and his ability to make others feel heard.
His Franciscan identity has also shaped his commitment to creating a radical alternative system of equity, inclusion, solidarity and preferential option for the poor, as the first apostles did.
Bishop Vincent decorated the Holy Spirit Seminary garden with the Nativity Scene complete with his own topiary animals. Image: Supplied
Championing safeguarding and women
Among Bishop Vincent’s most significant contributions to date has been his advocacy for creating a safer Church for children and vulnerable adults.
As a survivor of clerical abuse, and willing participant in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, he has not only spoken constantly on the need to support healing, accountability and reform within the Church, but created concrete action such as the Parramatta’s leading approach to safeguarding, a proactive approach to healing and support, ongoing training and resources for all parishes and agencies.
Bishop Vincent with the periti appointed to the 2023 Diocesan Synod (L-R) Rev Dr Gerard Kelly, Sr Dr Michele Connolly rsj, Sr Dr Margaret Beirne RSC, and Dr Rodger Austin. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Bishop Vincent has also focused on the need for greater involvement of women in active leadership roles in the Church. Taking a strong stance on the “clericalism” that has tarnished the Church’s witness and contributed to a culture of exclusion, Bishop Vincent has been a vocal advocate for the greater inclusion of women in leadership and governance.
He has repeatedly argued that the Church cannot fully reflect the richness of the People of God while women’s voices remain underrepresented in decision-making and pastoral leadership.
(L-R) Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, Sr Rebecca, Sr Rita and Sr Olivia with Bishop Vincent at the Mass for Consecrated Life on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, 2 February 2025. Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
A voice for the marginalised
As a refugee and migrant himself, he understands the richness that diverse communities bring to society and to the Church. Like many migrants he also understands what it’s like to be an outsider, and how easily it is to be misunderstood.
Again and again, he has spoken about the Diocese’s multicultural, multifaith character not as a challenge to manage but as a blessing to celebrate. The very “broad” Church that the western suburbs represent is one of strength where different cultures, experiences and perspectives are brought together in communion.
Members of the Legion of Mary present Bishop Vincent with a gift after the Mass for the Feast Day of St Josephine Bakhita at Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown, Monday, 8 February 2021. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Bishop Vincent’s own life experience has made him a powerful advocate for those on the margins.
He continues to champion refugees and migrants, support First Nations peoples, promote ecological responsibility and encourage Catholics to engage actively with social issues. He is a strong youth advocate, committed to empowering young people and giving a voice to their experiences and aspirations.
Bishop Vincent speaks with 2021 Senior Australian of the Year Dr Aunty Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann during the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Education NSW State Conference in Leura in the Blue Mountains. Image: Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta/Supplied
While the Church in Australia has witnessed the different pontificates of St John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV, many have observed how naturally Bishop Vincent’s own priorities aligned with those championed by Pope Francis: mercy, synodality, care for creation, accompaniment and a Church that goes forth to the margins. In Australia, Bishop Vincent was the first to convoke a Diocesan Synod as decreed by the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia, and in response to Pope Francis’ vision for a synodal Church.
Fr Ephraim Lam (centre) with Bishop Vincent (second left), celebrate Lunar New Year with the Chinese Catholic community of St Monica’s Parish, North Parramatta. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
The Franciscan of Parramatta
The public gained a deeper insight into his life through the ABC Compass documentary The Franciscan of Parramatta.
The program explored his journey from refugee to friar to bishop, revealing a leader shaped by suffering, resilience and faith. Central to the documentary was Bishop Vincent’s “sacred space” – not a cathedral or beautiful basilica, but his mother’s garden. A peaceful place where he can nurture God’s creation, tend the plants, craft magnificent topiary sculptures, and be at one with God in the quiet rhythm of cultivating the soil.
Bishop Vincent washing the feet of inmates at Parklea Correctional Centre on Holy Thursday with Richard Korkor, Catholic Care Chaplain in 2026. Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
A legacy still being written
As the Diocese celebrates 10 years of Bishop Vincent’s leadership, his legacy cannot be measured simply by programs, initiatives or milestones.
His greatest contribution may be the culture he has helped foster: a culture of listening, participation, inclusion and missionary renewal.
At the beginning of his episcopacy, he spoke of being cast “into the deep interior of Western Sydney” and acknowledged that the journey ahead was daunting. Yet he expressed confidence in God’s guidance and in the people he was called to serve.
Bishop Vincent with a member of the Sydney Street Choir. Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta.
Ten years later, that journey continues.
Through his Franciscan spirit, his advocacy for women, young people and those on the margins, his commitment to synodality, his passion for social justice and his belief in unity in diversity, Bishop Vincent Long has helped shape a Diocese that reflects the richness of the community it serves.
For the people of Parramatta, his first decade as bishop stands as a testament to faith-filled leadership rooted in humility, compassion and hope.
And as he continues to lead the Diocese into its next chapter, his invitation remains the same as it was on that day in June 2016: Duc in Altum – go out into the deep.
Bishop Vincent at the Mass for Consecrated Life on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, 2 February 2025. Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
