BISHOP EDWARD U. KMIEC, left, greets Bishop Richard Malone during a press conference Tuesday in Buffalo. Pope Benedict XVI named Malone, the bishop of the Diocese of Portland, as the new bishop of Buffalo, N.Y., to replace the retiring Kmiec.
The appointment was announced Tuesday at the Vatican. As is the custom, Bishop Malone traveled to Buffalo for the official public announcement. The date of his installation will be Aug. 10, at 2 p.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo.
Bishop Malone was installed as the 11th bishop of Portland in March 2004. Prior to his assignment in Maine, he served as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston upon his ordination in 2000.
“I am most grateful to our Holy Father for his trust in appointing me bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo. While there is sadness in my heart at leaving the Catholic faithful of Maine, especially the priests, deacons, consecrated religious, seminarians and lay leaders, I look forward with enthusiasm to taking up my responsibility as chief shepherd of the Church of Buffalo,” Malone said. “I am very grateful to follow in the footsteps of Bishop Kmiec who is a loving, faithful and generous servant of the gospel.”
During the press conference in Buffalo, retiring Bishop Edward U. Kmiec said that Bishop Malone can expect a warm welcome in Buffalo.
“Bishop Malone comes to Western New York with tremendous experience and a wonderful reputation for being a caring, pastoral bishop and a true shepherd to his people,” said Bishop Kmiec. “I am sure the faithful of the diocese will be ready and willing to support him to further the mission of the diocese. He will quickly learn that the people of this region are noted for being good neighbors, not just as citizens, but as active participants in the life of church.”
Canon Law required Bishop Kmiec to submit his letter of resignation to the pope on June 4, 2011, his 75th birthday.
The Diocese of Buffalo has over 633,000 Catholics (more than three times that of Maine). In the city of Buffalo alone, there are 32 Catholic churches. The diocese has seven Catholic colleges and universities, and 15 Catholic high schools. It is comprised of the eight western-most counties in New York State, with an area of 6,357 square miles (about one-fifth the size of the Diocese of Portland).
Now that the announcement has been made, Malone becomes the administrator for the Portland diocese. A new administrator will be chosen by the College of Consultors directly after he is installed in Buffalo. It could be up to a year before the Vatican names a replacement.
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