By Ann Rodgers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
February 25, 2011
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11056/1127933-100.stm
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| The Rev. William Waltersheid, left, and Bishop David Zubik arrive at the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh's Downtown office. |
A Harrisburg priest who guided American seminarians in Rome has been appointed auxiliary bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The Vatican at 6 a.m. Pittsburgh time announced the appointment of the Rev, William Waltersheid, 54. He will assist Bishop David Zubik, who has been debilitated with back problems, with sacramental duties and other duties assigned by Bishop Zubik.
Bishop-elect Waltersheid, who serves as secretary for clergy and consecrated life in the Diocese of Harrisburg, is a former psychiatric nurse who was ordained a priest in 1992. He is a former vice rector of the North American College in Rome, where seminarians from the United States live and study for the priesthood.
The new bishop will be ordained at 2 p.m. April 25 in St. Paul Cathedral, Oakland.
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| The Rev, William Waltersheid |
Bishop Zubik welcomed his appointment, noting that in 1990 Pope John Paul II took the Rev. Nicholas Dattilo from Pittsburgh and made him bishop of Harrisburg. Bishop Dattilo, who died in 2004, ordained Bishop-elect Waltersheid, and Bishop Zubik called his appointment here by Pope Benedict XVI a reciprocal gift.
"While Bishop-elect Waltersheid will be a particular blessing to the entire church of Pittsburgh, I am especially grateful for all that he will do to be of support to the very dedicated and hard-working priests of this diocese and the growing number of seminarians," Bishop Zubik said.
Bishop-elect Waltersheid said he was humbled by the appointment.
"I am overjoyed to have the opportunity to serve the people of God in Pittsburgh, with whom I already feel a great bond. I am very excited to follow the wonderful pastoral vision of Bishop Zubik, whose dedicated and effective ministry speaks for itself," he said.
The Rev. James Farnan, pastor of Divine Mercy and St. Philomena parishes in Beaver Falls, was a student during part of Bishop-elect Waltersheid's tenure in Rome and said he was known as a model of prayer and compassion. If a seminarian who didn't speak Italian well was admitted to a hospital in Rome, Bishop-elect Waltersheid would use his medical background and language fluency to make sure he got proper care.
"There were a couple of times students got sick and he stayed up all night with them in the Italian hospital. He's that kid of guy," Father Farnan said.
Appointments of an auxiliary bishop from outside a diocese are unusual. The pope usually chooses them from a list of local priests submitted by the local bishop. Bishop Zubik hasn't had an active auxiliary bishop since his last one, Bishop Paul Bradley, was made bishop of Kalamazoo, Mich., in 2009. He is believed to have requested an auxiliary bishop long before that. Retired auxiliary Bishop William Winter, 80, has continued to assist Bishop Zubik.
The Rev. Louis Vallone, pastor of St. John of God in McKees Rocks and St. Catherine in Crescent, said Bishop-elect Waltersheid would have some advantages that someone else from the outside might not. Because of his studies and later service at the North American College "he is already on a first name basis with 10 to 15 percent of the Pittsburgh clergy," he said. "His former profession as a psychiatric nurse will hold him in good stead as he settles into and is embraced by the Pittsburgh [clergy]. He is reputed to have a sense of humor."
More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Ann Rodgers: arodgers@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1416
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