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  New Archbishop of Hartford Named

New Haven Register [Hartford CT ]
October 20, 2003

HARTFORD — Bishop Henry J. Mansell of the Diocese of Buffalo will be the successor to Hartford Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin, church officials with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said.

Cronin submitted his resignation to Pope John Paul II last year when he turned 75, the mandatory age of retirement for bishops.

It was not immediately known when Mansell would take over.

The Archdiocese of Hartford planned a formal announcement this morning.

New Haven County is part of the archdiocese.

Mansell, 66, has overseen the Diocese of Buffalo since 1995. As head of the diocese, Mansell was forced to cut 15 employees and close several parish schools and one high school amid diocesan budget woes.

In September, he removed an undisclosed number of priests after allegations of past sexual abuse. But was the target of criticism from victims’ advocates when he did not release the names, parishes and number of priests removed from service.

"I want to assure everyone in the diocese that we continue to be vigilant when it comes to protecting our most precious assets: our children," he said at the time.

Mansell has also been known for his fund raising for Catholic Charities and other diocesan initiatives. He is also credited with championing the cause for sainthood for Lackawanna, N.Y., priest, Father Nelson Baker, who built Our Lady of Victory Basilica and ran an orphanage.

Cronin has led the Archdiocese of Hartford since 1992.

A former supervisor in the Boston Archdiocese, he was named in lawsuits filed last January that alleged he was among those in the diocese who did not do enough to protect victims of sexual abuse.

While overseeing in Hartford, he removed a priest accused of sexual abuse in Costa Rica from service in October 2002. He also agreed to forward abuse complaints to the Department of Children and Families.

 
 
 

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