ALBANY (NY)
WRGB - CBS 6 [Albany NY]
October 20, 2025
Mark O’Connell, the new Albany bishop, introduced himself to the public on Monday.
O’Connell will replace Bishop Edward Scharfenberger, who submitted his resignation to Pope Leo XIV. Scharfenberger, 77, has led the diocese since 2014, when he was appointed by Pope Francis to succeed Bishop Howard Hubbard. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, Scharfenberger was ordained a priest in 1973.
“My heart is full of gratitude, first of all to Pope Leo for having appointed such a wonderful successor,” said Scharfenberger.
O’Connell is an auxiliary bishop of Boston. He was born in 1964 in Ontario and was ordained a priest in 1990 in the Archdiocese of Boston. He recently launched a podcast called Listening to Catholic Women.
“I already have some cherished memories of Albany. Little did I know or suspect that I would one day be the bishop of this place,” said O’Connell.
Monday’s announcement also follows Friday’s news of an $8 million settlement in a child sex abuse lawsuit against a priest. That case was filed in 2020 as part of New York’s Child Victims Act.
In March 2023, the diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Earlier this year, it announced plans to realign or relinquish up to a third of its properties.