Resignation and appointment of bishop of Albany, U.S.A.
The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Albany, United States of America, presented by Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger.
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Mark W. O’Connell, hitherto titular of Gigti and auxiliary of Boston, as bishop of Albany, United States of America.

Curriculum vitae
Bishop Mark W. O’Connell was born on 25 June 1964 in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, in the metropolitan archdiocese of Toronto.
After studying philosophy at Boston College and theology at Saint John Seminary in Brighton, he was awarded a doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on 16 June 1990 for the metropolitan archdiocese of Boston. He has held the following offices: parish vicar of Saint Barbara in Woburn (1990-1995) and of Saint Mary of the Annunciation in Danvers (1995-1997); chaplain at Salem State College in Salem (1995-1997); assistant to the Moderator of the Curia for Canonical Affairs (2001-2007); adjunct judicial vicar (2002-2007); professor of canon law at Saint John Seminary (2006-2016); vice chancellor and judicial vicar (2007-2016).
On 3 June 2016, he was appointed titular bishop of Gigti and auxiliary of Boston, receiving episcopal consecration the following 24 August.

Bishop O'Connell has been a member of the CLSA since 1990. We congratulate him and wish him all the gifts of the Holy Spirit as he begins this new chapter of his life as the Bishop of the Diocese of Albany.  

Additional information about Bishop O'Connell's appointment is available at this link.

Resignation and appointment of Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation of Bishop Ralph Walker Nickless from the pastoral care of the Diocese of Sioux City.

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend John E. Keehner, Jr., of the clergy of the diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, as Bishop of Sioux City.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. John E. Keehner, Jr., was born on 19 November 1965 in Youngstown, in the diocese of the same name. He obtained a bachelor’s degree from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, and a master’s degree in biblical studies from Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary of the West in Cincinnati. He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Youngstown on 12 June 1993.

Msgr. Keehner was awarded a licentiate in canon law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome in 1999. He joined the Canon Law Society of America in 2023.

He has held the following offices: parish vicar of Saint Charles in Boardman, judge at the Tribunal, vice rector of the Cathedral, University pastoral director at Youngstown State University, defender of the bond, rector of the Cathedral, parish priest of Saint Columba, Saint Casmir and Saint Christine in Youngstown, and parish priest of Saint Paul in North Canton. Since 2024 he has served as parish priest of Our Lady of Peace in Ashtabula, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Geneva, Corpus Christi in Conneaut and Saint Andrew Bobola in Sheffield.

The appointment comes as the Holy Father accepted the resignation of Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki, who has served the archdiocese as archbishop since 2009.

Bishop Grob will be installed as archbishop of Milwaukee on January 14, 2025, by the papal nuncio to the United States, Cardinal Christophe Pierre.

Curriculum vitae

Archbishop-elect Jeffrey S. Grob was born on 19 March 1961 in Madison, in the diocese of the same name. He studied at Holy Name High School Seminary in Madison, and at Saint Meinrad Seminary in Saint Meinrad, Indiana. He was awarded a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, and carried out his theological studies for the archdiocese of Chicago at the Mundelein Seminary, obtaining a Master of Divinity. He was subsequently awarded a licentiate in theology at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, a doctorate in canon law at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, and a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Ottawa.

He was ordained a priest on 23 May 1992 for the archdiocese of Chicago.

He has held the following offices: parish vicar of Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity in Winnetka; assistant chancellor; judge of the Court of Appeal of the Ecclesiastical Province of Chicago; parish priest of Saint Celestine in Elmwood Park; judicial vicar; chancellor; and episcopal vicar for the Vicariate I.

He was appointed titular bishop of Abora and auxiliary of Chicago on 11 September 2020, and received episcopal consecration the following 13 November.

(Unofficial translation of announcement as published by EWTN in Norway)

Curriculum vitae

H.E. Mgr. Fredrik Hansen was born on 13 June 1979 in Drammen in the Diocese of Oslo, Norway. After studying Philosophy and Theology at the Allen Hall Seminary of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Westminster and at Heythrop College in London, on 21 April 2007 he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Oslo.

He has held the following positions and carried out further studies: Parish Vicar in Lillehammer (2007-2008); Secretary to the Bishop (2007-2011); Prefect (2007-2008) and then Vice-Rector of the diocesan seminary St. Eystein (2008-2011); Secretary of the Council of Norwegian Bishops (2009-2011) and Ecclesiastical Judge at the Tribunal of Oslo (2011-2016); Doctorate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (2013).

He was a student of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and, in 2013, he entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See, serving at the Apostolic Nunciature in Honduras (2013-2015), at the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the International Organizations in Vienna (2015-2019) and at the Mission of the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Organizations in New York (2019-2022). After completing his service in the Pontifical Representations, he entered the Company of Priests of Saint Sulpice, serving as Professor at St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore (USA).

We share the joy and excitement of Vermont Catholics at the news of the appointment of Rev. Msgr. John J. McDermott as the new Bishop of Burlington. Msgr. McDermott is a canonist who received his JCL from the Catholic University of America in 2004. He has been a CLSA member since 2002. 

Bishop-Elect McDermott has served the Diocese of Burlington as Vicar General, Moderator of the Curia, and most recently as the Diocesan Administrator since the departure of Bishop Christopher Coyne, who was moved by the Holy Father to serve as Archbishop of Hartford in June 2023. 

His ordination and installation will take place at 1:00 PM on Monday, July 15, 2024, at Saint Joseph Cathedral in Burlington, Vermont.

A video of the press conference where Bishop-Elect McDermott was introduced on May 6 is available at this link. He has three brothers, six sisters, and 22 nieces and nephews who share in this joyful announcement.  

More information about Bishop-Elect McDermott is also available at this link to the USCCB website.

Appointment of Promoter of Justice Substitute of
the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Monsignor Shane Lee Kirby, previously an official at the Dicastery for the Clergy, as Substitute Promoter of Justice of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. Monsignor Kirby was born on 12 March 1973 in Washington (United States of America) and received priestly ordination on 26 June 2004 for the Diocese of Scranton. He obtained, in 2005, the Licentiate in Patristic Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (Italy) and, in 2014, the Licentiate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America in Washington. In the Diocese of his incardination, in addition to various pastoral roles, he held the office of Chancellor and Episcopal Vicar for Canonical Affairs. Since 2017 he has been an official at the Dicastery for the Clergy.

See the official announcement at this link.

Dr. Goldstein’s book, “Father Ed”, is the first biography of Father Edward Dowling, SJ, whose guidance transformed Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill Wilson’s life and deepened the spirituality of the twelve-step movement.

In addition to “Father Ed,” Dr. Goldstein has written four other books: “Sunday Will Never Be the Same” and (under the pen name Dawn Eden) “The Thrill of the Chaste,” “My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saint,” and “Remembering God's Mercy.”

The Christopher Awards celebrate authors, and illustrators as well as writers, producers and directors whose work “affirms the highest values of the human spirit” and reflects the Christopher motto, “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”

The Christophers, a nonprofit founded in 1945 by Maryknoll Father James Keller, is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of service to God and humanity. The ancient Chinese proverb—“It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness”— guides its publishing, radio, and awards programs. 

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, was elected President of the USCCB. Archbishop Broglio is an ex officio Honorary member of the CLSA. He earned his JCL in 1981 and his JCD in 1983 from the Gregorian University in Rome.

Bishop Joseph C. Bambera of the Diocese of Scranton is the Chairman-Elect of the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. Bishop Bambera earned his JCL from St. Paul University, Ottawa, in 1991. He has been a member of the Society since 1990.

Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis is Chairman-Elect of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis. Archbishop Thompson earned his JCL from St. Paul University, Ottawa, in 1992. He has been a member of the Society since 1993.

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is the Chairman-Elect of the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance. Bishop Paprocki earned his JCL in 1989 and his JCD in 1991  from the Gregorian University in Rome. He has been a member of the Society since 1985.

We offer our prayers and support as a Society to these member canonists and to all of the bishops who have been elected to further serve the Church in the United States in their respective offices at the USCCB.

On Wednesday, September 28, 2022, while attending the bi-annual conference of the Society for Law of the Eastern Churches in Belgrade, Serbia, Chorbishop John Faris was elected to serve as its Vice President for the next two years. The Society, founded over 50 years ago, comprises approximately 300 canonists from the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

We extend our sincerest congratulations to Chorbishop Faris and to the SELC for having elected such a dedicated and expert canonist to serve their membership. 

Chorbishop Faris was the CLSA's 2011 Role of Law Recipient and has served the CLSA as Vice-President (1993-94) and President (1994-95). 

To learn more about the Society for Law of the Eastern Churches and to consider a donation or membership in the Society, visit their website at this link.