Pope Names Baltimore Auxiliary Bishop Malooly To Succeed Wilmington Bishop Saltarelli, Names Philadelphia Priest Bishop Of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
WASHINGTON—Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli, 75, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, and named Baltimore Auxiliary Bishop W. Francis Malooly, 64, to succeed him. The pope also named Msgr. Herbert A. Bevard, 62, a Philadelphia pastor, as Bishop of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Bishop-elect Bevard succeeds Bishop George Murry, who was transferred from St. Thomas to the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, in January 2007.
The resignation acceptance and appointments were announced in Washington, July 7, by Msgr. Martin Krebs, Charge d’Affaires at the apostolic nunciature in the United States.
Bishop Malooly was named auxiliary bishop of Baltimore, Dec. 11, 2000. In the Baltimore Archdiocese, he served as Western Vicar for the 38 parishes and six missions in Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Howard, and Washington counties in Maryland. He also served as Moderator of the Curia and Vicar General.
W. Francis Malooly was born in Baltimore, January 18, 1944. He studied at St. Charles Minor Seminary and at St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, and was ordained a priest by his uncle, Auxiliary Bishop T. Austin Murphy of Baltimore.
Herbert Bevard was born February 24, 1946, in Baltimore. He studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook, Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor of arts and a master of divinity degree.
He was ordained a priest in 1972, and was named a monsignor by Pope John Paul II in 2003.
Bishop-elect Bevard’s most recent assignment was pastor of St. Athanasius Church, Philadelphia from 1994-2008. He also has served as a mentor in the Pastoral Leadership Institute and regional vicar, Philadelphia-North.
Previous assignments included associate pastor of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Media, Pennsylvania, and Newman Chaplain at Pennsylvania State University, 1972-1973; associate pastor of St. Robert Church, Chester, Pennsylvania, and Newman Chaplain, Widener University, 1973-1978, assistant pastor of St. Richard Church, Philadelphia, 1978-1983, assistant pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Church, Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and Approved Advocate of the Metropolitan Tribunal,1983-1989; and parochial vicar of St. Anastasia Church, Newton Square, Pennsylvania, 1983-1989.
He also was a member of the Interparochial Cooperation Committee and the Priest Personnel Board.
The Wilmington Diocese includes 5,309 square miles. The total population of the diocese is estimated at 1,270,734 people, with 230,000 of them Catholic.
The St. Thomas Diocese comprises the islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John and Water Island. The total population of the diocese is estimated at 110,000 people, with 30,000 of them Catholic.