September 14, 2010 - Cardinal Ordains Two New Bishops for the Archdiocese of Boston

Bishop Arthur L. Kennedy, Ph.D. and Bishop Peter J. Uglietto, S.T.D.

www.BostonCatholic.org/newbishops

Boston, MA—September 14, 2010 – In a ceremony rich in tradition and celebrated by nearly 2,000 attendees, Cardinal Seán O’Malley ordained Bishop Arthur L. Kennedy, Ph.D. and Bishop Peter J. Uglietto, S.T.D.as Auxiliary Bishops today in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston.  Bishop Kennedy will continue to serve as Rector of Saint John’s Seminary and Bishop Uglietto will serve as the Auxiliary Bishop of the North region of the Archdiocese of Boston.  

Among the many dignitaries in attendance today was Cardinal William Henry Keeler (Archbishop Emeritus of Baltimore), many bishops, clergy and religious from across the country and the Archdiocese, His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios, members of the Ecumenical community, college presidents, and current and former public officials among others.
 
Cardinal Seán said, “The ordination of Bishop Arthur Kennedy and Bishop Peter Uglietto is a moment of great celebration in our Archdiocese.  I am grateful to our Holy Father for naming these two fine priests as bishops.  They have provided great leadership for our seminaries and they bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and abiding commitment to the Church and her teaching to their new roles as Auxiliary Bishops.”  

At the conclusion of the ordination, Bishop Kennedy and Bishop Uglietto offered remarks to the faithful gathered in the Cathedral.  Following are excerpts from their remarks:

Bishop Kennedy said, “It is with honor and fidelity that I offer my gratitude to our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI for his appointing me an auxiliary bishop with a share in the apostolic responsibilities and missions that flow from the Cross of Christ.”  He added, “Cardinal Sean, I offer my sincere appreciation for your trust in me over these three-plus years as the Rector of St. John’s Seminary. Your support of Saint John’s Seminary, such an important institution in the Archdiocese, indeed Pope John Paul II named seminaries as the heart of a diocese, is the central reason that we have been able to increase greatly the numbers of seminarians over these few years. I am honored that you considered me as worthy to have some share in your responsibilities in the rebuilding of the Church in the Archdiocese of Boston.”

Bishop Uglietto said, “I am grateful to Our Holy Father Pope Benedict for this call to serve God and his people. I am pleased to thank you Cardinal Sean for your confidence and trust.” 

He added, “This ordination is not about honoring individuals but highlighting roles of service.  This day is not about Bishop Kennedy and me as much it is about Jesus Christ - that His mission continue. That is why we are ordained – that the Church and its mission bear fruit!  From the moment of your birth and mine God has assigned a role for each of us in his plan to save the world. So each one must do his or her part: to seize the moment, to assist in healing the wounds of sin and division, to work together for unity despite differences, to make the sacrifices necessary for effective pastoral planning for the future.”

With their ordination, Bishop Kennedy and Bishop Uglietto will join Bishop John Dooher (South Region), Bishop Robert Hennessey (Central Region), Bishop Walter Edyvean (West Region), Bishop Francis Irwin (retired), Bishop John Boles (retired), and Bishop Emilio S. Allué (retired) as Auxiliary Bishops of Boston.

Ordination events included vespers at Blessed John XXIII in Westin, MA for immediate family and friends of Bishops and their seminary communities on Monday evening.  Prior to the ordination earlier today, a luncheon was held at St. John Seminary in Brighton, MA for immediate family and friends, visiting bishops and archdiocesan officials.  Following the ordination, a reception was held at St. John’s Seminary.

Please visit www.BostonCatholic.org/newbishops for information about Bishop Kennedy and Bishop Uglietto.  A copy of the ordination program, photos, explanation of their Coat of Arms, and biographical information is available online.  In addition, the official Apostolic Letter from Pope Benedict VXI, which was read at the ordination, is available online.

CatholicTV broadcast the ordination live (to be rebroadcast at 8pm tonight, September 14th and online).  Please visit www.catholictv.com for more information.

George Martell from the Catholic Media Group, photo blogged from the Mass.  Photograph’s can be viewed by visiting http://www.flickr.com/photos/bostoncatholic.

The Pilot has produced a special edition (www.thebostonpilot.com) and will have complete coverage in next week’s edition. 

Additional coverage is available http://www.facebook.com/BostonCatholic and http://twitter.com/bostoncatholic.

About the Archdiocese of Boston: The Diocese of Boston was founded on April 8, 1808 and was elevated to Archdiocese in 1875. Currently serving the needs of nearly 2 million Catholics, the Archdiocese of Boston is an ethnically diverse and spiritually enriching faith community consisting of 291 parishes, across 144 communities, educating approximately 46,000 students in its Catholic schools and 156,000 in religious education classes each year, ministering to the needs of 200,000 individuals through its pastoral and social service outreach and in support of a health care ministry that meets the needs of some 1 million patients each year.   Mass is celebrated in nearly twenty different languages each week. For more information, please visit  www.BostonCatholic.org.