NEW JERSEY
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
By Michael A. Fuoco / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Bernard A. Hebda, bishop of the rural Diocese of Gaylord, Mich., since 2009, on Tuesday became coadjutor archbishop of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., making him the latest former Pittsburgher to rise to a level of national prominence in the Catholic Church.
The appointment by Pope Francis means that Archbishop Hebda, 54, leaves a diocese of 65,000 Catholics to assist in administering New Jersey’s largest diocese of 1.5 million Catholics in four counties. As coadjutor, he will automatically become archbishop upon the retirement, transfer or death of the current archbishop, John J. Myers, who at 72 is about three years from mandatory retirement.
At a news conference Tuesday in Newark, Archbishop Myers said “some time ago” he had requested a coadjutor (Latin for co-assister) to help with some strategic plans because he and two auxiliary bishops are in their 70s.
Archbishop Hebda said he was “humbled” by the pope’s confidence and grateful for “providing me with the ‘coadjutor’s cushion,’ an opportunity to experience the vitality of this local church and its challenges before ever being placed at the helm. I hope to take advantage of this blessing to the fullest extent possible,” by getting to know the priests, laity, parish, schools and institutions that make up the archdiocese.
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