16/07/2026
𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 | THANKS GIVING MASS
(July 12, 2026)
Nelson Po was born in the small village of Cantuhaon, Palompon, Leyte, in the Philippines on 5 June 1968, the third of six children to parents, Lope Po (father) and Norma Abordo (mother).
Nelson had a happy childhood as part of a farming family who lived a frugal and simple country lifestyle. Educated at the Northern Leyte Academy in his hometown of Palompon, Leyte, Nelson finished high school in 1985.
At the completion of his secondary education, he entered tertiary studies in Industrial and Management Engineering and obtained a Bachelors degree. He then went on to work in a copper processing company in his native Leyte province.
Nelson's faith was fostered and nurtured by his beloved grandmother who took him to lives of the Saints, particularly St Church, taught him prayers and the Joseph, and the Mother of Perpetual Help. He grew up very active in his parish community and became a leader of the Parish Youth Group and Choir.
Nelson realised his vocation when he led a group of young pilgrims to attend the World Youth Day 1995 in Manila, Philippines. This was the turning point of his calling. He was genuinely captivated by the presence of then Pope John Paul II. Answering the call to God's service, Nelson entered the Blessed Sacrament Congregation and undertook Theology studies at the Maryhill School of Theology in Manila, Philippines, where he also completed a Masters Degree in Theology with majors in Pastoral Ministry.
At the invitation of then Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey, Nelson arrived in Perth in 2003 as a seminarian. Notre Dame University Australia. Fremantle, Western Australia.
He was ordained a Priest in 2005 by Emeritus Archbishop Hickey at St Mary's Cathedral Perth, Western Australia.
Since then, he has served as Assistant Parish Priest in Kalgoorlie.
followed by a short stint as Chaplain to the Royal Perth Hospital for two years.
He was appointed Parish Priest of the Cloverdale Parish in 2010 and has been the Parish Priest of Applecross Parish since 2016.
He has been a Member of various Diocesan Committees and Agencies, including the Archdiocesan Reference Group for the Plenary Council of Australia in 2018. He also served as a Member of the Reference Group organising the Perth Diocesan Assembly in 2023-2024.
In October 2025, Father Nelson Po represented the priests of the Archdiocese at the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies held in Rome, Italy.
On 2 February 2026, the Feast of the Presentation of Lord, Pope Leo XIV announced the appointment of Bishop Nelson Po as the Titular Bishop of Agunto and Auxiliary Bishop of Perth, Western Australia. The Most Rev Bishop Nelson Po, Auxiliary Bishop of Perth, was ordained as the seventh Auxiliary Bishop of Perth, on 16 April 2026 at St Mary's Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia.
Photos by | HCPSOCCOM
