 |
Pope Benedict Appoints
Monsignor Joseph C. Bambera
To Be Tenth Bishop of Scranton
February 23, 2010 |
Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Monsignor
Joseph C. Bambera to be the next Bishop of
Scranton.
The appointment was made at the Vatican and
announced in the Diocese of Scranton by
Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of
Philadelphia and Apostolic Administrator of
the Diocese of Scranton. The announcement
was made on February 23 at a 10 a.m. news
conference that was broadcast live by the
Diocesan Catholic Television station.
A video of the news conference is now
available for viewing on the Diocesan
website: www.dioceseofscranton.org.
Bishop-elect Bambera will be ordained a
Bishop and installed as the tenth Bishop of
Scranton on Monday, April 26, at 2 p.m. in
St. Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton.
Bishop-elect Bambera has been serving as
Cardinal Rigali’s Delegate since Aug. 31,
when Pope Benedict accepted the retirement
of Bishop Joseph F. Martino and appointed
Cardinal Rigali as Apostolic Administrator
of the Diocese.
A native of the Diocese, Bishop-elect
Bambera has been a priest since 1983 and has
extensive pastoral and administrative
experience.
He was born in Carbondale, Pa. on March 21,
1956, the son of Irene Kucharski Bambera and
the late Joseph Bambera.
He attended St. Rose of Lima Elementary
School and graduated from St. Rose of Lima
High School in 1974. Following graduation,
he enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh
and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in
1978.
In 1978, Bishop-elect Bambera was accepted
for studies for the priesthood for the
Diocese of Scranton and entered St. Pius X
Seminary in Dalton in September of the same
year. During that time, he attended the
University of Scranton, pursuing courses in
theology and philosophy. In 1979,
Bishop-elect Bambera continued his studies
for priesthood at Mary Immaculate Seminary,
Northampton, Pa., where he was awarded a
Master of Divinity degree in 1982.
He was ordained to the diaconate on May 14,
1983 by the Most Reverend J. Carroll
McCormick and was ordained to the priesthood
on November 5, 1983 by the Most Reverend
John J. O’Connor.
Bishop-elect Bambera’s first priestly
assignment was as assistant pastor of the
Church of St. Mary of the Assumption,
Scranton. He served in this position until
September 1987, when he was appointed
assistant pastor of the Cathedral of St.
Peter, Scranton. During the years in which
he served as an assistant pastor,
Bishop-elect Bambera also served as an
Auditor in the Tribunal of the Diocese of
Scranton, Diocesan Spiritual Director of the
Legion of Mary, Campus Minister at
Lackawanna Junior College and Diocesan
Director of Pilgrimages.
In 1989, Bishop-elect Bambera was appointed
to further studies in Canon Law. In 1991, he
was awarded a Licentiate in Canon Law from
St. Paul’s University, Ottawa, Canada and a
Master’s degree in Canon Law from the
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Following the completion of graduate
studies, Bishop-elect Bambera was appointed
a Judge in the Tribunal of the Diocese of
Scranton.
Bishop-elect Bambera was appointed as the
Diocesan Director of Ecumenism and
Interfaith Affairs in January 1993 and
served in that capacity for three years.
During that time, he represented the Diocese
of Scranton on the Pennsylvania Conference
on Interchurch Cooperation. In July 1995,
Bishop-elect Bambera was appointed by Bishop
James C. Timlin to assume the role of Vicar
for Priests for the Diocese of Scranton. At
the same time, he became the Diocesan
Director of Continuing Education for
Priests.
While serving in numerous Diocesan
positions, Bishop-elect Bambera was
appointed administrator and then pastor of
the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus,
Scranton. He served the parish from January
1994 until July 1997, at which time he
assumed the role of Director of Formation at
St. Pius X Seminary, Dalton.
Bishop-elect Bambera was appointed pastor of
the Church of St. John Bosco, Conyngham, in
July 1998. In July 2001, Bishop-elect
Bambera was appointed pastor of the Church
of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
in Dickson City.
In June 2005 Bishop-elect Bambera was
appointed by Bishop Joseph F. Martino to
serve as an Episcopal Vicar for the Central
Region of the Diocese of Scranton, a
position that he maintained for two years.
Bishop-elect Bambera was appointed pastor of
the Church of St. Thomas Aquinas, Archbald,
and the Church of St. Mary of Czestochowa,
Eynon, in July 2007. He was also appointed
Canonical Consultant for Pastoral Planning
for the Diocese of Scranton at that time.
On August 31, 2009, Bishop-elect Bambera was
appointed by His Eminence, Cardinal Justin
Rigali, Apostolic Administrator of the
Diocese of Scranton, to serve as his
Delegate in the Diocese following the
retirement of Bishop
Martino.
Bishop-elect Bambera presently serves as an
ex-officio member of the Presbyteral Council
and is a member of the College of Diocesan
Consultors. In June 2000, he was elected
chairman of the Presbyteral Council and
re-elected as chairman for a second term in
June 2002.
He is a past member of the Diocesan
Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission, the
Diocesan Seminary Admissions Committee, the
Diaconate Advisory Board, the Office of
Continuing Education for Priests Advisory
Board, the Diocesan Independent Review
Board, the Priests’ Retirement Board, the
Vocations Advisory Board and the Diocesan
Liturgical Commission.
He is a past president of the Board of
Pastors at the former Bishop Hafey High
School, Hazleton and Bishop O’Hara High
School, Dunmore. He continues to serve as a
Judge on the Diocesan Tribunal and as
Defender of the Bond for the Eparchy of St.
Maron, Brooklyn.
In August 2000, Bishop Timlin appointed
Bishop-elect Bambera moderator of The
Diocesan Annual Appeal for 2001, 2002
and 2003.
The President and Trustees of the University
of Scranton invited Bishop-elect Bambera to
serve as a member of the Board of Trustees
in April 2003, a position that he maintained
until April 2009. In October 2004 he was
appointed by Bishop Martino to serve on the
Board of Trustees of St. Michael’s School,
Hoban Heights.
Bishop-elect Bambera was made a Prelate of
Honor by Pope John Paul II in March 1997.
Bishop-elect Bambera has one sister, Mrs.
Karen Hoffman, who along with her husband
Charles and their daughter Elizabeth and son
Charles, live in Stroudsburg.
Statement of His Eminence Cardinal Justin
Rigali
Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of
Scranton
News Conference – February 23, 2010
Good morning and thank you for
being here.
With great joy and thanks to
Almighty God, I announce to you that His
Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has appointed
Monsignor Joseph C. Bambera, as the tenth
Bishop of the Diocese of Scranton. This
appointment was made public today, the 23rd
of February, 2010 at 12:00 noon in Rome.
Bishop-elect Bambera’s ordination and
installation will take place on Monday,
April 26th at 2:00 p.m. in St.
Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton.
I congratulate Bishop-elect
Bambera on this appointment by our Holy
Father. I offer him my prayers and the
prayers of the clergy, religious and lay
faithful of the Diocese of Scranton.
With the appointment of
Bishop-elect Bambera, my time of service as
Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of
Scranton will soon come to an end. Although
the time that I have spent with you has been
brief and my presence in the Diocese has
been limited, I have been richly blessed by
this opportunity.
I have been privileged to come to
know the vibrant Diocese of Scranton and to
meet dedicated priests, deacons and
religious who serve so selflessly. I have
had the wonderful opportunity to join
together in prayer and fellowship with many
of the lay faithful of the eleven counties
of northeastern and north central
Pennsylvania during my pastoral visits. You
have touched me deeply by the warmth of your
welcome, by the depth of your faith, and by
your obvious love of God and all those who
share humanity with His Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ.
The Church is called to offer the
truth and the grace of Jesus Christ to all
people through the concerted action of all
her sons and daughters. By virtue of his
apostolic mandate, it falls to the Bishop to
call forth, direct and coordinate the
evangelical endeavor of the diocesan
community so that Gospel faith can grow and
flourish, the lost sheep can be led back to
the flock and the Kingdom of God can spread
throughout the world.
Yet, for all of the noble
responsibilities that relate to the office
of Bishop in the Church, a Bishop is
primarily called to pastor the People of God
with the heart of Jesus Christ. Indeed, it
is the image of the shepherd that
illustrates with particular eloquence the
breadth of the episcopal ministry. The model
of Christ the Good Shepherd suggests to the
Bishop daily fidelity to his mission, total
and serene dedication to the Church, joy and
patience in leading to the Lord all those
entrusted to his care, gladness in gathering
into the unity of the Church the scattered
children of God, and earnest kindness in
extending respectful friendship to all
people of good will.
On my part, I ask that all of the
faithful of the Diocese of Scranton work
generously with the new Bishop as he
proclaims the Gospel and commits himself to
ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and
collaboration, beginning with our Orthodox
brethren, the members of the Polish National
Church, all our Christian brothers and
sisters, as well as all our fellow
believers—Jewish, Muslim and others—whom we
deeply respect.
We celebrate this day God’s
blessings upon the Diocese of Scranton. As
we begin a new era in the Church of
northeastern and north central Pennsylvania,
we give thanks that our Lord Jesus Christ
has brought us to this day. We give thanks
as well that the Lord remains with His
Church—with us—and leads us forward in hope
and in continuity with the ministry of
Bishop Martino, Bishop Timlin and all their
predecessors.
I ask you to pray with me that,
through the ministry of Bishop-elect
Bambera, God will pour out His Spirit upon
the clergy, religious and laity of the
Diocese of Scranton, and upon all the civic
officials called to serve the well-being of
the people.
May God bless you abundantly as you work
together to build a civilization of love in
which the life and dignity of every human
being is defended, respected and cherished.
Thank you.
Statement of Bishop-elect Joseph C. Bambera
News Conference – February 23, 2010
Good morning and thank you for
being here.
I’d like to begin my remarks by offering my
sincere gratitude to so many who have
brought me to this moment in my life and in
the life of the Diocese of Scranton.
With deep humility, I offer thanks to
Almighty God through whose providence and
grace I’ve been called to serve the people
of God in the Diocese of Scranton as bishop.
I find great consolation in the words of
Saint Paul as stated in his second letter to
the Corinthians: “The Lord said to me, ‘My
grace is enough for you.’ … So I willingly
boast of my weakness, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.”
I offer my profound appreciation to His
Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for this
appointment. I pledge to him as Vicar of
Christ and Successor of Saint Peter my
loyalty and my resolve to exercise this
office in the Church in union with him and
with all of the Bishops in communion with
him and in particular with my brother
Bishops in the Province of Philadelphia.
I offer thanks as well to His Eminence,
Cardinal Justin Rigali, who has shepherded
the Diocese of Scranton for the last six
months with wisdom, compassion and kindness.
In the time that I have been privileged to
serve as his delegate, he has shown to me
the heart of a good shepherd and a faithful
servant. We have been richly blessed by his
leadership.
I am grateful to Bishop James Timlin, bishop
emeritus of the Diocese of Scranton and to
Bishop John Dougherty, retired auxiliary
bishop of the Diocese of Scranton. They have
generously given of themselves during this
time of transition and I thank them for
their time and efforts.
I also wish to gratefully acknowledge Bishop
Joseph Martino, my immediate predecessor. In
the six years of his tenure as Bishop of the
Diocese of Scranton, Bishop Martino
challenged all of us to strive for a deeper
sense of holiness in our lives and to live
out more authentically our mission as
followers of Jesus. His words continue to
challenge all who seek to live as faithful
disciples of the Lord.
The role of any bishop, and my role now, is
to call the people of God to holiness and
mission. It will be my responsibility, as
articulated in the Documents of the Second
Vatican Council: to affirm that, through the
visible Church, Jesus is present in the
midst of his people; and then, with them, to
proclaim and to spread the Gospel of Jesus,
so that all may believe in Christ, find
peace through his presence, and so come to
eternal life.
How blessed we are that God provides the
powerful means to proclaim the Gospel of
Jesus right here in our midst. It’s not my
task to proclaim the Gospel alone. I
proclaim it with you, my brother priests
with whom I’ve served for twenty-six years
and who will now serve as my closest
collaborators. I thank you profoundly for
your support. I proclaim it with our deacons
and with women and men in consecrated life.
And I proclaim it with the wonderful
faithful people of the eleven counties of
northeastern and north central Pennsylvania
that we know as the Diocese of Scranton.
Most of you are aware of the fact that my
roots are here in the Diocese of Scranton.
My mother still lives in Carbondale, my home
town. My sister and her family reside in
Stroudsburg. Throughout my ministry as a
priest of this diocese, I’ve been privileged
to serve in many and different diocesan and
parochial assignments. Quite honestly, the
assignments that have been most personally
rewarding for me have been my assignments as
pastor.
The people of this Diocese are our greatest
blessing and I have been so privileged to
walk the journey of faith with many of you.
I’ve been blessed to share in your joys and
hopes. And I am also keenly aware of the
struggles that we have faced together. In
addition to the personal losses and setbacks
that touch everyone’s lives, as a diocese,
we’ve struggled with change, parish
restructuring and church and school
closures. We continue to do so. But notice
that through all of these challenges,
despite the pain that so often comes from
loss, life goes on.
The good news is that a meaningful and
fulfilling life can go on because of our
faith in Jesus. And such a life will go on
if there is unity and communion among all of
the members of the body of Christ. I pray
that God will give me the grace to lead you
on that journey.
Six months ago, I was happily serving as
pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in
Archbald and St. Mary of Czestochowa Parish
in Eynon. I couldn’t have imagined that
today I would be in the midst of this
gathering, following my appointment as the
10th Bishop of the Diocese of
Scranton.
As I find myself called through the power of
the Holy Spirit to this office in the
Church, I am reminded of words that Cardinal
John O’Connor had inscribed on a prayer card
commemorating his installation as the 7th
Bishop of the Diocese of Scranton: “God
writes straight with crooked lines.” I never
quite appreciated those words until today.
St. Paul shares similar words in his second
letter to the Corinthians when he says:
“Because we possess this ministry through
God’s mercy, we do not give in to
discouragement. … We proclaim the truth
openly. … This treasure we possess in
earthen vessels, to make it clear that its
surpassing power comes from God and not from
us.”
God walks with us, my brothers and sisters.
The presence of Jesus is woven into the
fabric of our daily lives and routine right
here in the Diocese of Scranton. Jesus walks
in the footsteps of committed priests,
deacons, religious and laity. He lives in
the hearts of His people who are
strengthened by the Eucharist and so enabled
to serve the needs of many. Jesus is
proclaimed from our pulpits, in our
wonderful Catholic schools and religious
education programs. He speaks to us through
the lives of the poor and in the voices of
the faithful, from life-long members of our
parishes to new immigrants who together make
up the Church of our eleven counties.
Saint Augustine offered these
words: “For you I am a bishop; with you I am
a Christian.” My prayer is that together we
claim the hope that is given to us through
the life, death and resurrection of Jesus;
that we come to appreciate the salvation
that is ours through faith; that we
celebrate our union with Christ and with one
another; that we proclaim the Good News to
all who have ears to hear; and that we
embrace the mission of service that lies at
the heart of the Church.
Please pray for me that as your Bishop, I
may be vigilant in my defense of our faith,
resolved to show kindness and compassion to
the poor and to all who are in need, eager
to seek out those who are lost and constant
in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus.
As we begin a new chapter in the
life of the Diocese of Scranton, may we
continue to collaborate and to work together
as we pursue charity and truth. May we look
to Mary, the Mother of God for consolation
and help. And may our thoughts be filled
with the hope given to us through the
presence of Jesus in the midst of his
Church.
Thank you and God bless you.
Statement of Bishop Emeritus James C. Timlin
February 23, 2010
Bishop-elect Bambera has been a long-time
friend and co-worker, and I am just
delighted at the good news that he has been
now raised to this important post of our
servant-leader. I have no doubt he will be a
great bishop, one who knows well our area
and our people. I pray that God will bless
him abundantly as he undertakes this
important task.
For my part I pledge my loyalty and support
for our new bishop and I will gladly be of
whatever help to him that I can be.
Facts About the Diocese of Scranton
The Diocese of Scranton was officially
established on March 3, 1868. It encompasses
8,466 square miles in northeastern and north
central Pennsylvania and is comprised of 11
counties: Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne,
Lycoming, Monroe, Pike, Sullivan,
Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne and Wyoming.
Currently, Cardinal Justin Rigali serves as
Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese.
Bishops of the Diocese include Bishop
Emeritus James C. Timlin, Retired Bishop
Joseph F. Martino and Former Auxiliary
Bishop John M. Dougherty.
Parishes:130
Catholics Registered with Parishes: 323,047
Total Population in the Diocese of Scranton:
1,091,320
Diocesan Priests active in the Diocese: 162
Diocesan Priests active outside the Diocese:
26
Diocesan Priests retired, sick or absent:
104
Total Priests of the Diocese 292
Religious Priests resident in the Diocese:
60
Priests from other Dioceses: 16
Deacons: 65
Brothers: 8
Total Sisters: 523
Seminarians: 8
Catholic Colleges and Universities:
4 Total Students: 13,190
Diocesan Catholic High Schools:
4
Total Students: 1,529
High Schools, Private:
2
Total Students: 924
Diocesan Catholic Elementary Schools: 21
Total Students: 6,019
Public School Pupils in Religious Education
classes: 27,981
In High Schools: 4,885 In
Elementary Schools: 23,096
Total Students under Catholic Instruction:
49,668
Priests, Teaching (full-time): 4
Brothers, Teaching: 0
Sisters, Teaching: 30
Lay Teachers: 483
Total Teachers in the Diocese: 517
General Hospitals: 5 Total
Patients: 606,270
Health Care Centers: 2 Total
Patients: 118,714
Homes for invalid and aged: 4
Residents: 526
Infant Baptisms: 3,484
Adult Baptisms: 81
Received into Full Communion: 111
First Communions: 4,014
Confirmations: 4,236
Catholic Marriages: 834 Mixed
Marriages: 262 Total: 1,096
Deaths: 4,881
Bishops of Scranton
Rt. Rev. William O’Hara, D.D.
1868-1899
Rt. Rev. Michael J. Hoban, D.D.
1899-1926
Most Rev. Thomas C. O’Reilly, D.D.
1928-1938
Most Rev. William J. Hafey, D.D.
1938-1954
Most Rev. Jerome D. Hannan, D.D.
1954-1965
Most Rev. J. Carroll M. McCormick, D.D.
1966-1983
Most Rev. John J. O’Connor, D.D.
1983-1984
Most Rev. James C. Timlin, D.D.
1984-2003
Most Rev. Joseph F. Martino, D.D.
2003-2009
Cardinal Justin Rigali, Apostolic
Administrator 2009-2010
Bishop-elect Joseph C.
Bambera 2010 –
