NEW JERSEY
The Record
SATURDAY MARCH 8, 2014
BY JEFF GREEN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
The $500,000 expansion of Newark Archbishop John J. Myers’ already substantial rural retirement house has drawn the attention of Catholics across the region as much for its lavish details as for its timing, as Myers asks parishioners to contribute to his annual appeal and to a $100 million capital fundraising drive.
Almost no notice has been paid to the living quarters of the Most Rev. Bernard Hebda, whom Pope Francis named last year as Myers’ prime assistant and likely successor in what many Catholic Church observers say was the new pope’s most significant early appointment. Hebda was seen as a prelate who personified the pope’s desire for a humbler clergy that shuns the ostentation that has sometimes marked the church hierarchy.
Hebda lives in a dormitory room on the campus of Seton Hall University. The contrast between the two residences may serve as a marker in a church at a crossroads.
In all its glory, Hebda’s quarters in Xavier Hall includes a living room, a bedroom and a study, he said in a recent interview.
“I thought it would be a good idea to live close to the seminary — give me a chance to meet future priests. Also, I enjoy being around college students,” said Hebda, who did not comment directly about the expansion of Myers’ retirement home.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.