New Springfield Bishop Delivers Message to Diocese

WGGB
June 19, 2014

http://www.wggb.com/2014/06/19/new-springfield-bishop-delivers-message-to-diocese/


Springfield’s new Bishop Mitchell Rozanski of the Archdiocese of Baltimore was introduced to Western Massachusetts on Thursday.

Bishop Rozanski also celebrated his first mass in the chapel at St. Michael’s Cathedral.

Earlier in the day. the diocesan staff had a chance to meet Bishop Rozanski as he shook hands and said hello.

Then the new bishop was formally introduced at a diocesan news conference.

Bishop Rozanski was ordained a priest in 1984 and in 2004 he was named auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Baltimore.

Bishop Rozanski says his years of service as a pastor will help him transition to being bishop in Springfield,”I love being out among the people, I get great strength from being out among the people and I look forward to working with priests and the religious men and women, the deacons and the people of the Diocese of Springfield,” says Bishop Rozanski.

In Baltimore Bishop Rozanski has served on the child and youth protection committee for the conference of Catholic bishops for the past 7 years.

He has a message to victims of clergy sex abuse,”It has taught me first of all about the importance of being a shepherd, of reaching out to victims and survivors acknowledging their pain, and certainly the spiritual harm that has been done,” says Bishop Rosanski.

As Bishop Rozanski gets set to begin his new ministry as Springfield’s ninth bishop, he faces all challenges with a deep sense of faith and purpose,”I think as bishop it’s up to me, to model what it means to be witness to the good news of the gospel, of reaching out to others and for others to see the transformative difference that Jesus makes in our own lives,” says Bishop Rosanski.

Bishop Rozanski will be installed as Springfield’s new bishop on August 12th.