Heirarchy round-up in the USA

I found a good post on the site David’s Ruminations:

As the year wraps up, it seems a good time to take a look ahead at what changes in the Catholic hierarchy in the USA might be anticipated in the coming year.

First, there are 2 Cardinals currently past the normal retirement age of 75. Cardinal Egan (Archbishop of New York) turned 75 in April of this year. It seems likely that he will remain as the ordinary for another year or two. Cardinal Maida (Archbishop of Detroit), however, turns 78 in just a few months. It seems likely that he will retire and a replacement will be named in the coming year.

There are 10 other ordinaries already over 75 and another 6 that reach that age in the coming year. First, the archbishops:

  • Elden Francis Curtiss: Omaha, Nebraska
  • Harry Joseph Flynn: Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota
    (Coadjutor: John Clayton Nienstedt)
  • Alfred Clifton Hughes: New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Oscar Hugh Lipscomb: Mobile, Alabama

Next, the bishops:

  • Manuel Batakian, I.C.P.B.: Our Lady of Nareg in New York (Armenian)
  • Edward Peter Cullen: Allentown, Pennsylvania
  • John Michael D’Arcy: Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana
  • Bernard Joseph Harrington: Winona, Minnesota
  • William Leo Higi: Lafayette in Indiana
  • John Joseph Leibrecht: Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri
  • Carl Frederick Mengeling: Lansing, Michigan
  • James Michael Moynihan: Syracuse, New York
  • James Albert Murray: Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • Michael Angelo Saltarelli: Wilmington, Delaware
  • Arthur Nicholas Tafoya: Pueblo, Colorado
  • John Walter Yanta: Amarillo, Texas

In addition, there are 9 dioceses that are already vacant, namely:

  • Charleston, South Carolina
  • Des Moines, Iowa
  • Green Bay, Wisconsin
  • Juneau, Alaska
  • Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Little Rock, Arkansas
  • New Ulm, Minnesota
  • Saint Thomas, American Virgin Islands
  • Shreveport, Louisiana

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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10 Comments

  1. Father Anonymous says:

    Oh how I wish my bishop were on that list :( Does anyone have a time machine?

  2. Allan Potts says:

    What a wonderful opportunity for the Pope to appoint 5 orthodox cardinals, and 21 faithful, holy and orthodox bishops.

    Oremus. Deo gratias.

  3. Royce says:

    Our bishop (D’Arcy of Fort Wayne – South Bend) has made no secret of his request for a 2-year extension. He’s a very good bishop, though his health does seem to be going a bit.

  4. Matthew Mattingly says:

    Does anyone else get the idea that the USA isn’t the A+ Church it was in the eyes of the Vatican (especially in the days before Vatican II).
    Even afterward, it seems that nominations to Sees and filling vacancies was much faster than now.
    John Paul II put in alot better men than did Paul VI. But some less than desirable people still got thru.
    I think if the present Prefect for Bishops (the notoriously liberal Cardinal Re)…at least from what I read…is replaced both the quality regarding orthodoxy and traditionalism, and the quantity of appointments would improve.

  5. Chris Garton-Zavesky says:

    I remember commenting in July that the reason His Holiness set a three-year clause in SP was to give him a chance to find out who needed early retirement.

    To borrow an idea from Fr. Baker S.J., if the bishops are the problem, the solution has to be the bishops also.

  6. RLP says:

    One of the worst kept secrets In the archdiocese of Seattle is that Archbishop Burnett is about ready to announce his early retirement. Maybe a few more episcopal sees will become vacant through early retirement.

  7. Matt Q says:

    Father Anonymous wrote:

    “Oh how I wish my bishop were on that list :( Does anyone have a time machine?”

    You and me both, Father.

    RLP wrote:

    “One of the worst kept secrets In the archdiocese of Seattle is that Archbishop Burnett is about ready to announce his early retirement. Maybe a few more episcopal sees will become vacant through early retirement.”

    Yeah, we certainly hope that rumor is true. All readers of this blog should see what a whack job he did do the Seattle Cathedral.

  8. Matt Q says:

    We can only hope the replacements will be Authentic bishops and not another batch from the same stale lot.

    I wonder how much of a hand the Holy Father really has in selecting bishops. The previous Pope seemed to do a rather hit and miss job. Possibly this could be because the Popes just rubber-stamp the selections from the CB.

    At the same time pray hard because we got great men like Bruskewitz, Burke, Burbidge… :)

  9. Diane K says:

    This will be a very interesting year with regards to bishops and cardinals.

    It’s also a great time to place ourselves in adoration for the selection of good, holy, virtuous, and courageous men to get those offices. Mass intentions, as well as other prayer intentions, should be rising to heaven with great intensity. Those prayers can come in the form of small sacrifices too.

  10. Chuck A says:

    I agree with Dian completely. We need to be sending many prayers up to heaven to have these positions filled by wise and holy men. I live in Litle Rock and even though we have a great Administor in Msgr Hebert, I pray daily that the Holy Father sends us a great and orthodox shepherd. It will be worth the wait

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