Pope Francis Picks Queens Priest to Lead Albany Diocese
By Bob Gardinier
Albany Monsignor Edward Scharfenberger, a 65-year-old Brooklyn-born, Vatican-educated priest and pastor of a parish in Queens, will become the 10th bishop of Albany on April 10. His selection by Pope Francis to succeed Bishop Howard Hubbard was announced Tuesday. Scharfenberger, who also has been a lawyer for more than two decades, played a significant role in how the Diocese of Brooklyn handled the clergy sex scandal as a member of the Diocesan Review Board for Sexual Abuse of Minors. "I want to be a healer. I want to be a listener. I want to be a reconciler, but I can't do it alone," Scharfenberger said when he was introduced at a morning news conference at the Pastoral Center of the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese. "Let's just get to know each other...walk together," Scharfenberger said, adding that he wants to bring back those who have been alienated by the church. And in a reference to the closing of parishes with dwindling congregations, he said: "If we had more people coming into the churches, we wouldn't have to close any churches." He leads St. Matthias Church in Ridgewood, a multi-ethnic church with a large German congregation, which offers services and hears confessions in German. In addition to German, Scharfenberger speaks Spanish, Italian and French. His recent assignments also included vicar for strategic planning and episcopal vicar for Queens. The next bishop showed that he is an engaging conversationalist, quick to smile and laugh, as when he told of his surprise a week ago on learning of his new assignment. "I got a call that in a few minutes I was going to get a call from a priest," he said. "I asked 'What did I do?' " "Did I think I would be here in Albany?" Scharfenberger said. "No, maybe in Lake George." Hubbard demonstrated his own brand of humor at the lectern. "Good morning. I'm Howard Hubbard, and I used to be bishop of Albany," he said. Hubbard, as required of all bishops, submitted his retirement last fall on his 75th birthday. But he remains bishop until his successor is installed on April 10. Officially, the church referred to Scharfenberger as bishop-elect. Hubbard contrasted Scharfenberger's diocese, which includes Queens, with his own. "Brooklyn is one of the few dioceses in the United States that is totally urban. Albany covers 14 far-flung counties." "You are going to have a bit of an adjustment to make here in Albany," he said, then gave Scharfenberger a map of the diocese and a zucchetto that his predecessor, Bishop Edwin Broderick, gave him in 1977 when he was elevated from Albany priest at age 38. Hubbard rummaged around in his bag for effect and pulled out a Mets cap. Scharfenberger is a big fan. Hubbard, who was born and raised in Troy, has always rooted for the Boston Red Sox. Richard E. Barnes, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, welcomed the pope's appointment "with great joy," and said his legal training and work as a pastor in the melting pot of Queens would serve him well in Albany. "We are excited to get to know our new local bishop and we look forward to his strong voice impacting the important pastoral and public policy issues facing the church in the entire state of New York." Barnes also said the bishops wished Hubbard "a long and healthy retirement and look forward to many more years of his wise counsel." A member of the group of Capital Region Catholics who recently launched the website albanybishopsearch.org to ask people of the Albany diocese to share their thoughts on what they wanted to see in a new bishop said he was impressed with Scharfenberger's deep spiritual and educational background. "I look forward to having a person who will lead the Albany diocese in a progressive and open way so we can all draw closer to God," said Bill Halligan, who is a parishioner at St. Vincent DePaul in Albany.
|
.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.