Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Hierarchy update

The Holy See announced this morning that Fr. Terry LaValley has been named bishop of the Diocese Ogdensburg, New York and that Msgr. Joseph Bambra will be the next bishop of the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania. It is very rare that a priest is named the bishop of the diocese he is from, but both of these men are from their respective dioceses. Both bishops-elect are 53 years-old.

These appointments, which fill vacancies without creating new ones, leave only three vacant Latin Rite dioceses in the United States: Harrisburg, PA; LaCrosse, WI; Springfield in Illinois. Additionally, there are two archbishops (Brunett of Seattle and Beltran of Oklahoma City) and two bishops (Skylstad of Spokane, WA and Higi of Layfayette in Indiana) serving past the canonically mandated retirement age of 75. All of these prelates have submitted their resignations to the Holy See, the Holy Father has yet to accept them.

The Holy See has been most generous to the churches in the United States, not letting churches linger for long without bishops. The pace of episcopal appointments last year and now this year is likely unprecedented.

Meum cum sim pulvis et cinis

2 comments:

  1. I wish to congratulate Fr. Terry on his appointment as Bishop-elect. As music director for St. Mary's Cathedral and the Diocese of Ogdensburg, it has been a privilege and an honor to have worked for and with him for the past 3.5 years. I know that he will truly make an excellent Shepherd for the people of the North Country. Three cheers to Pope Benedict XVI for making this choice. By the way, Bishop-elect LaValley’s favorite psalm is 139 – please pray this psalm frequently for him as he makes this tremendous transition!

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  2. A good friend of mine used to work in the Diocese of Ogdensburg and she is very pleased about Fr. Terry.

    And things sound good for Scanton too, thanks be to God.

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