One of the oldest episcopal vacancies in the US has finally been filled. The Diocese of Youngstown has a new bishop, announced by the Vatican today. Bishop George Murry, SJ, formerly bishop of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, was named by Pope Benedict to fill the vacancy created in March 2005 when Bishop Thomas Tobin was appointed to Providence. Murry is the fifth bishop of Youngstown since its founding in 1943.
Murry was born in Camden, New Jersey, in 1948 and was ordained a priest in the Society of Jesus in 1979. He was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of Chicago in 1995, then coadjutor bishop of St. Thomas in 1998. He became the ordinary when Bishop Elliot Thomas retired the next year. Murry is 58.
Update: I should mention that the other vacant sees at the moment (and the date they became vacant) are Lake Charles, Louisiana (March 2005); Birmingham, Alabama (May 2005); Pittsburgh (May 2006); Little Rock, Arkansas (May 2006); Great Falls/Billings, Montana (July 2006); and Shreveport, Louisiana (December 2006). Eleven other bishops are serving past their retirement age.
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Wow, I never realized that our gain was Youngstown’s loss. I just figured that as soon as Bishop Tobin came to us in Providence his vacancy was filled…We are more fortunate than I had thought.I’m glad that vacancy is filled now. Do we have a lack of bishops, or are some bishops (because there ARE auxiliaries in some dioceses) thought to be unsuited to particular dioceses?
Bishop Tobin faced enormous challenges in Youngstown and did as much as one could to stop the rot. The folks in Providence were lucky to get him. I don’t know how things have gone during the interregnum.
Does anyone know if Bishop Murry is one of the good SJs or one of the pod-people?
Bishop Murry gets banished from the Virgin Islands to Youngstown, OH?! What did HE do wrong to deserve that?
In all seriousness though, it’s good that Youngstown finally has a new bishop.