Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Bishop Francis Malooly of the Diocese of Wilmington; Appoints Monsignor William Koenig of Diocese of Rockville Centre as Successor

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop W. Francis Malooly, 77, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Wilmington and has appointed Monsignor William E. Koenig, a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre as Bishop-elect of Wilmington.

WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop W. Francis Malooly, 77, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Wilmington and has appointed Monsignor William E. Koenig, a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre as Bishop-elect of Wilmington. Bishop-elect Koenig currently serves as vicar for clergy for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 2021 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Monsignor Koenig was born August 17, 1956 in Queens, New York. He attended Cathedral College in Douglaston, New York (1975-1979) and received a Master’s degree in Divinity from Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, New York (1979-1983) and a Master’s in Social Work from Fordham University in Bronx, New York (1994). He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Rockville Centre on May 14, 1983.

Bishop-elect Koenig’s assignments after ordination include: parochial vicar at St. Edward the Confessor parish in Syosset (1983-1986); parochial vicar at St. James parish in Setauket (1986-1989); director of vocations (1989-1996) and director of the Office of Ministry to Priests (1990-1996) for the Diocese of Rockville Centre; parochial vicar at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre (1996-2000); pastor of St. William the Abbot parish in Seaford (2000-2009); and rector of St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre (2009-2020). Since 2020, Monsignor Koenig has served as the vicar for clergy for the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

Bishop-elect Koenig’s pastoral ministry also includes service as a member of the diocesan priest personnel board since 2019. In 2007, Monsignor Koenig was named Chaplain to His Holiness, with title of Monsignor.

The Diocese of Wilmington is comprised of 1,932 square miles in the state of Delaware and 3,375 square miles in the state of Maryland and has a total population of 1,490,342 of which 246,999 are Catholic.

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