They will be among an estimated 3000 to 4000 people at St Stanislaus College auditorium in Bathurst, including Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell.

The new bishop is the eighth of the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, taking in Dubbo, but the first to be ordained in it and for it.

The previous seven bishops were installed in the diocese, having been ordained elsewhere.

Buses and car loads of Dubbo residents will file out of Dubbo in time to make the 11am ceremony.

Dubbo’s St Brigid’s Parish priest, Father Paul Devitt, headed to Bathurst yesterday after revealing that “other Christian traditions and faith traditions such as Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist” were invited along with State and federal politicians in the region.

The diocese, including 19 parishes, has been without a bishop since November 2008 when its seventh bishop retired.

Bishop Patrick Dougherty served the diocese for 25 years and will be among as many as 30 other bishops in Bathurst today.

He will play a part in the service for which Father Devitt said Cardinal Pell would be the “main celebrant”.