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	Archdiocese to Get New Vicar General in the Fall By Mark Arsenault and Lisa Wangsness Boston Globe June 15, 2011 http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/06/15/boston_archdiocese_to_get_new_vicar_general_in_the_fall/ Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley is getting a new top aide: Monsignor Robert P. Deeley, a Massachusetts native, will return this fall from assignment in Rome to become the vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Boston Archdiocese, O'Malley announced yesterday. The job is like a combination of lieutenant governor and chief of staff, carrying out O'Malley's vision while dealing with religious and spiritual issues and the nuts and bolts of running a large organization, according to the Rev. Richard M. Erikson, who has held the job since 2006. Erikson has spent his time in office grappling with the fallout from two major crises that occurred before he arrived — the sexual abuse scandal in 2002, and the closure of dozens of parishes in 2004 and 2005. The archdiocese has struggled since then to balance its budget, deal with underfunded pension funds for priests and lay employees, keep parishioners in the pews and students in the Catholic schools, and deal with a major shortage of priests. Erikson worked on a variety of fronts to address these problems; on his watch the archdiocese trimmed some programs and laid off employees, began a controversial transition to a 401k-style lay pension plan, and launched a campaign to bring inactive Catholics back to church. A small but vocal group of critics have complained about high salaries paid to top lay employees, the church's handling of its pension funds, and a variety of other financial and administrative policies. But O'Malley had only praise for Erikson yesterday, saying in a statement that Erikson's "contributions are many, especially in the areas of communications, transparency, and revitalizing our efforts in the area of pastoral planning and evangelization." "We have greatly benefited from his leadership and his dedication to Christ and the Church." Deeley, a canon lawyer, served as president of the Canon Law Society of America while a pastor in Quincy. In September 2004 he was assigned on a temporary basis to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican department that oversees doctrine and handles cases involving clergy abuse of minors. The head of that department at the time — then-Cardinal John Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI — requested that he stay on as an official of the Congregation, according to the archdiocese. "Monsignor Deeley is a well respected and accomplished priest who has served the Church with distinction in the Archdiocese of Boston and in recent years in Rome," the cardinal said in a statement. Deeley, 64, grew up in Belmont, the fourth of five sons. He was ordained in 1973 then served five years at a parish in Needham before becoming secretary to the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese. In 1999, he was named pastor of St. Ann Parish in Quincy, where he stayed until he was called to Rome. "The Holy Father provided me a wonderful opportunity to serve the worldwide Church and I will be forever grateful for his confidence and trust," Deeley said in a statement. "I have enjoyed my work in Rome but I am grateful for the opportunity to return to the Archdiocese which has been such an important part of my life as a priest." Deeley was unavailable for an interview. Erickson said he has been in frequent contact with Deeley, and both are working closely to ensure a smooth transition. Deeley will take over on Sept. 1. Erikson anticipates he will return to Boston next year in a different assignment. By Erikson's description, the job at times resembles the work of the chief executive officer of nearly any big company: He has plowed through stacks of property leases to decide which to approve, dealt with budgets, and made personnel decisions. But the post also brings a spiritual component. Erickson recalls being asked to give special permission for a terminally ill man to be wed on his deathbed because he deeply wanted to marry before he died. "My answer was an instant yes," he said. Mark Arsenault can be reached at marsenault@globe.com; Lisa Wangsness can be reached at wangsness@globe.com.
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