There aren’t too many bishops who can say they’ve blessed a robot, and on 28 February, Bishop Shane did just that, blessing da Vinci Xi, St John of God Bendigo Hospital’s brand-new surgical robot, which was unveiled to much applause at a gathering of 200 people.

"I was honoured to bless the da Vinci Xi Surgical Robot,” said Bishop Shane. “I am delighted to see the success of this fundraising campaign, which has ensured that the highest quality of surgical care is available locally for Bendigo and the surrounding region. The event has also given me a distinctive status among the Australian bishops – I think I am the only one who has blessed not only churches and schools, but also a robot.”

The hospital, via the St John of God Foundation raised $2.85 million to purchase the robot, which will not only reduce a patient’s need to travel to Melbourne or Ballarat but will hopefully attract more surgeons to Bendigo.

The futuristic robot is designed to enable minimally invasive surgery, which helps to reduce scarring and risk of complications, aiding faster recovery and shorter hospital stays for patients after surgery.

Even though da Vinci Xi has been blessed by Bishop Shane, surgeons will still need to guide it through surgical procedures. Essentially, the robot is a sophisticated, highly calibrated tool that aids surgeons in their work with capabilities to enhance prostate, colorectal, thoracic, renal and gynaecological surgical procedures.