New Bishop of Sale
The importance of checking home heating to avoid the risk of house fires has been highlighted by the CFA’s deputy chief officer.
Trevor Owen said with winter setting in all heaters – electrical, gas, kerosene, open fires and wood heaters – should be checked to ensure they are in good working condition and that they are used correctly and carefully.
Winter is the highest time of risk for residential fires and can cause tragic consequences, he said.
Mr Owen added that gas heaters presented a further risk – carbon monoxide poisoning – if not properly maintained.
He said CFA brigades are called to numerous preventable house fires that can have devastating consequences including significant injuries and, in some cases, fatalities.
Mr Owen also warned of risks with drying clothes indoors near fires and heaters stating they should be kept at least a metre from the heat source.
Key check points he listed in preparing for winter were:Turning off or extinguishing all heaters and fires before leaving the house; ensuring heaters are installed, maintained and operated properly; placing a fire screen in front of an open fire; cleaning of flues and chimneys annually; keeping wood and other combustibles at least one metre from a fire, and supervising children near heaters.
Sale Diocesan administrator Father Peter Slater has welcomed the appointment Monsignor Greg Bennet, a priest of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, as the 10th Bishop of Sale by Pope Francis.
“I welcome the announcement of Monsignor Greg Bennet as next Bishop of Sale.
“I am sure the people, religious, priests and agencies of the Diocese will be glad to make him welcome when he comes among us,” Fr Peter Slater said.
In accepting this appointment, Bishop-Elect Bennet said he was ‘humbled’ by Pope Francis’ nomination to be the next Bishop of Sale.
“It is an enormous responsibility and privilege to be asked to undertake this appointment. It is a responsibility which cannot be exercised in isolation, but in close cooperation with the clergy, the faithful and those in Diocesan leadership,” he said.
Bishop-Elect Bennet said he was looking forward to being among the people of Sale, working with the clergy and the faithful.
“I know that I come to Sale as a stranger, but I pray that we shall grow together as brothers and sisters in the Lord.
“I pray the Patroness of the Diocese, Our Lady of Perpetual Help will guide us as we build on the rich legacy of the Catholic faith in Sale and as we work together for the Reign of God.
“The warmth of welcome has already been extended and such kindness is a reflection of the living Word of God. I know of the majestic beauty of the Diocese, and am mindful of the tragedy of the fires of last summer and the enduring suffering of many.
“The Diocese has clearly responded with great care, compassion and charity to those who have lived through such a traumatic experience and now begin to reorient their lives: These efforts will have my full support,” he said.
Bishop-Elect Bennet is currently the parish priest of St Joseph’s, West Brunswick. He has held several leadership positions within the Archdiocese of Melbourne, including as director of Ministry to Priests and later as inaugural director of the Office for Evangelisation. After additional parish ministry, he served as vicar general from 2012 to 2019.
Bishop-Elect Bennet was born in April 1963, the is the second of four children to Len (RIP) and Maureen Bennet. He was raised in Melbourne, completing his secondary education at Braemar College in Woodend, northwest of Melbourne. After working in banking for several years, he entered Corpus Christi College in 1986 and was ordained priest in 1992.
Following a number of parish appointments, Bishop-Elect Bennet undertook postgraduate study, gaining a master of science in pastoral counselling from Loyola College in Baltimore and a licentiate in sacred theology from the Angelicum University in Rome.
Bishop-Elect Bennet’s appointment follows the recent departure from Sale of Bishop Patrick O’Regan who was installed as Archbishop of Adelaide last month.