Saltarelli Was Appointed in 1995 to Lead Wilmington Diocese
By Gary Soulsman
The News Journal
December 23, 2007
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071223/NEWS/712230352/1006/NEWS
As Catholics gather this week to retell the story of Jesus' birth, the Most Rev. Michael A. Saltarelli will be preparing Christmas Eve masses in a diocese where plans for his final days as bishop are under way.
Church tradition requires bishops to retire at age 75 and Saltarelli has sent a letter to Rome stating his willingness to step down from the Diocese of Wilmington after his Jan. 17 birthday.
New appointments can take months to years, but no one seems to expect a lengthy wait for a man to lead the 58 parishes and 220,000 Catholics in Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Saltarelli, who has served since his November 1995 appointment by Pope John Paul II, is considered a popular bishop. He is known for understanding issues facing priests and church members while adhering to policies set by Rome.
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| The Most Rev. Michael A. Saltarelli, bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington, is preparing to retire. The diocese encompasses 58 parishes in Delaware and on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. |
These same pastoral traits often mark the men whose names pop up in discussions of a possible successor. Given the conservativism of Pope Benedict XVI, no one expects an extreme liberal. Some of the names include: •Bishop W. Francis Malooly, 63, auxiliary for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, who has a reputation for building parishes and strong pastoral skills.
•Bishop Joseph P. McFadden, 60, auxiliary for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He is considered a personable man who has strong ties to the parishes.
•Bishop Denis Madden, 67, urban vicar in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He has a background in counseling and is well-liked by priests.
•Monsignor Kevin T. McMahon, vicar for moral and religious matters pertaining to health care and biotechnology in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. A former priest in the Wilmington diocese, he is familiar with its issues.
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| Bishop Michael Saltarelli (left), is assisted by Dwayne Gernandes, an Ordo Friar Minor, during a vigil at Christ Our King Convent in 2006. |
For the diocese, this is a time of expansion. New parish buildings have been dedicated in Lewes, Middletown, Glasgow and Ocean Pines, Md. And the bishop's guidance touches everything from parish appointments to new seminary candidates, to worship, education, athletics, money, sexual-abuse policy and the founding of new parishes.
"He's a critical figure, the shepherd of the diocese," said Carlene Sandella, director of worship at St. John the Baptist-Holy Angels in Newark.
The process of replacing a bishop is prescribed by tradition and law.
No one aside from the pope's inner circle knows when his appointment will be announced or who the man will be. More than 30 appointments around the nation are pending.
Not knowing when a new bishop will be named, the diocese is preparing for change, preparations that are fueling talk and expectation.
Jack Raughley, a former state deputy of the Delaware Knights of Columbus, sent an e-mail this month seeking 75 to 100 people to drive dignitaries whenever the diocese's ninth bishop is installed.
"We have to be ready to pick up bishops at airports and train stations and make sure they get to events," Raughley said last week.
Also this month, a blog post on Whispers in the Loggia -- a reference to the place in a church that's ideal for private chats -- caught the attention of many in the diocese, Sandella said. The blog by Rocco Palmo of South Philadelphia focuses on church policies and personnel in the nation's largest faith. Palmo writes from an insider's view, saying he has e-mail and cell phone contact with Catholics around the world.
On Dec. 10, Palmo noted that six U.S. bishops reach retirement age next year.
"First among them is the much-loved Bishop Michael Saltarelli," he wrote.
He went on to say that a year ago the bishop complied with Vatican protocol and submitted his letter stating a willingness to step down in 2008 at 75, a move confirmed by a diocesan official. In an interview, Palmo said a successor could be named soon after the bishop's January birthday, and installed as early as March.
"Wilmington's ninth bishop will inherit a growing local church justly viewed as a 'plum,' " he wrote.
However, not everyone welcomes a call from the papal ambassador in Washington. Being a bishop means all responsibility falls on that person, Palmo said.
The job of bishop is far from easy, especially in the wake of the priest-sex abuse scandals, said the Rev. Tom Flowers, pastor of St. Polycarp in Smyrna.
"When you talk with people who've been victimized in these abuse cases, it's a heavy burden you carry," Flowers said.
Locally, Voice of the Faithful, reformers within the church, have lobbied for power in decision-making, a right that Saltarelli has said is not theirs.
A priest or bishop may refuse the job if he feels called to serve elsewhere. But leading the Diocese of Wilmington has much to tempt a candidate, too.
Among officers of the church, there's a feeling the diocese is well-run, with a top chancery or administrative office, Palmo said.
The diocese has closed some Wilmington-area schools and felt some decline in city parishes, but that's counterbalanced by growth in the suburbs. Although the number of priests is declining, each parish has at least one parish priest.
Also, the diocese is a manageable size, a far different case than -- for example -- moving to Gallup, N.M., where 26 priests serve an area five times the size of Delaware, Flowers said.
After retirement, Saltarelli has said, he will remain in the diocese, helping when asked. For this story, Saltarelli did not return a call for comment.
He has also said that no party should be held when he steps down, given the legal fees of defending abuse cases.
Contact Gary Soulsman at gsoulsman@delawareonline.com or 324-2893.
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