Stephan Lipke, SJ, ordained Auxiliary Bishop
On 2 February 2025, Father Stephan Lipke, SJ, was ordained as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of the Transfiguration in Novosibirsk and titular Bishop of Arena. Fr Lipke is a member of the Province of Greater Poland and Mazovia which comprises parts of Poland, Denmark, Russia, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan.
The episcopal consecration, which took place at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Novosibirsk, was led by Bishop Joseph Werth, SJ, the ordinary of the Diocese of Transfiguration, and accompanied by other Bishops. Jesuits, government representatives, and a capacity crowd of faithful attended the ceremony.
Born on 31 December 1975 in Essen, Germany, Fr Lipke, pursued studies in philosophy and theology at the University of Bonn. He was ordained a deacon in 2001 and a priest in 2002. He joined the Society of Jesus in 2006 as a priest, and pronounced his First Vows in 2008. His mission to Russia began in 2011, where he held teaching and pastoral roles in Tomsk before earning a doctorate in Russian literature from Tomsk State University in 2017. He later underwent Tertianship in Manila, Philippines. In Moscow, he served as the director of the St. Thomas Institute, editor of the magazine Simvol, and Consultor to the Superior of the Independent Russian Region.
Father Lipke also held roles such as Delegate for the Protection of Children and Youth, Superior of the Jesuit community in Moscow, and Secretary General of the Russian Episcopal Conference. He engaged in pastoral work at St Louis Parish and collaborated with the Missionary Sisters of Charity while teaching at the St Thomas Jesuit Institute and the St Philaret Orthodox Institute. Fluent in German, English, and Russian, he is also proficient in several other languages, including Italian, Spanish, French, Polish, and Ukrainian.
Pope Francis appointed Fr Lipke Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of the Transfiguration in Novosibirsk and titular Bishop of Arena on 12 September 2024.
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