Sydney Auxiliary Bishop Danny Meagher will become the new shepherd of Rockhampton after Pope Leo XIV appointed him to head the second largest diocese in Queensland on Wednesday.
Bishop Danny will replace Bishop Michael McCarthy, who had submitted his resignation last year upon reaching the age of 75.
“Congratulations and my prayers to Auxiliary Bishop Danny Meagher at the Archdiocese of Sydney following Pope Leo XIV’s announcement tonight he is to be the new Bishop of Rockhampton,” said Archbishop Anthony Randazzo, Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts & Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Broken Bay.
“The people of Rockhampton will have a good, faithful and caring shepherd in Bishop Danny.”
While Bishop Danny has never ministered in Queensland, he brings a breadth of experience to the role, having served in regional communities and studied in Rome.
Born in West Wyalong, in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Bishop Danny was educated at Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview before studying economics and law at the University of Sydney.
He practiced as a solicitor for three years before joining St Patrick’s Seminary, Manly. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Sydney at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney on 22 July 1995 by Cardinal Edward Clancy.
In 2004, he studied in Rome at the Gregorian Pontifical University, obtaining a Licentiate in Fundamental Theology.
Returning to Sydney, he was appointed Director of Catechesis for World Youth Day from 2006-2008.
Returning to his regional roots, in 2012, he served in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes as the administrator of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Broken Hill.
In 2015, he became rector of the Seminary of the Good Shepherd, serving in this role until 2020. In 2021, he became administrator Five Dock, serving only a few months before Pope Francis appointed him an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney in November 2021.
Bishop Danny has been a fixture at recent ordinations in the Diocese of Broken Bay, having been the rector of the Seminary of the Good Shepherd while many of Broken Bay’s recently ordained priests were studying there.
He is expected to be present for the ordination of Deacons Shayne D’Cunha, Huy Tran and Tan Nguyen to the priesthood in late April.