Overview
- Cornelissen was ordained in a three-bishop rite led by Utrecht Archbishop Wim Eijk at the Sint Jozefkathedraal, receiving the ring, mitre and staff after the laying on of hands and anointing.
- His installation makes him the sixth bishop since the see was re-established in 1956 and later enlarged in 2005 to form Groningen–Leeuwarden.
- The seat had been vacant for more than a year following Bishop Ron van den Hout’s move to the Diocese of Roermond in June 2024.
- Born in 1964 and ordained in 1996 for the Archdiocese of Utrecht, Cornelissen has served as pastor and episcopal vicar.
- He describes himself as a team player aiming to be a stable presence with a focus on missionary outreach and synodal collaboration in a diocese of roughly 100,000 Catholics facing secularization.