Pope Francis Picks Bishop Thomas Rozanski to Succeed Retiring Bishop Timothy Mcdonnell As Head of Springfield Diocese
By Conor Berry
Pope Francis on Thursday named Bishop Mitchell Thomas Rozanski, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, to succeed retiring Bishop Timothy Anthony McDonnell as head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield. Rozanski, 55, is poised to become the ninth bishop of the 144-year-old Springfield diocese, which spans all four Western Massachusetts counties and caters to the region's roughly 230,000 Catholics spread over 81 parishes. Rozanski will be installed as the region's new bishop during an Aug. 12 ceremony at St. Michael's Cathedral in Springfield. This morning's appointment was announced simultaneously in Washington, D.C., by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the United States, and by the Vatican Press Office. Canon law requires a bishop to retire at age 75, and McDonnell reached that age in December 2012. McDonnell, who spent more than half a century as a Catholic priest, was ordained on June 1, 1963, by Cardinal Francis Spellman at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral. He was installed as the eighth bishop of the Springfield diocese during an April 2004 ceremony at St. Michael's Cathedral. He plans to continue living in Western Massachusetts after his retirement, according to diocesan spokesman Mark Dupont. Rozanski, a native of Baltimore, will be introduced today during a video press conference at 10 a.m. at the Bishop John Marshall Center. The live event can be viewed online at www.diospringfield.org or www.iobserve.org. He will be the first Springfield diocese bishop with Polish roots, according to diocesan officials. cberry@repub.com
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