As expected, Archbishop O’Malley’s news conference later this morning will be to present the two new auxiliary bishops for Boston. Father John Dooher, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Dedham, and Father Robert Hennessey, pastor Most Holy Redeemer Parish in East Boston, have been named.
They fill the spaces left by Bishop John P. Boles, who is resigning—he turns 77 in January—and Bishop Richard Lennon, who is now bishop of Cleveland. Boles has been an auxiliary in Boston since 1992.
Also announced today was the retirement of Bishop William Franklin of Davenport, Iowa, at 76 years old. He is being replaced by Bishop Martin Amos, auxiliary bishop of Cleveland. Probably not coincidentally, the Davenport diocese filed for bankruptcy protection the other day.
Dooher is 63 years old. He was born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston and was ordained in 1969. He has served St. John Xavier parish in South Weymouth (1969-1974) and St. Augustine parish in South Boston (1974-1982) as parochial vicar, and as pastoral administrator of Ss. Peter and Paul parish in Boston and St. Vincent de Paul in South Boston from 1991 to 1996. From 1982 to 1984 he was moderator of the Presbyteral Council and 1984 to 1991 he was head of the office of Spiritual Development. In 1996 he was named pastor of St. Mary’s in Dedham
Hennessey is 54 years old and a native of South Boston. He was ordained in 1978. He served as parochial vicar at St. Joseph the Worker in Hanson (1978-1981), St. Peter in Plymouth (1981-1982), St. Joseph in Needham (1983-1986) and 1986-1994 he served with the Society of St. James in Bolivia. In 1994 he was named pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in East Boston. While there he was also chaplain for Our Lady of the Airways Chapel at Logan Airport from 1995 to 1998. He also served as pastoral administrator of Our Lady of the Assumption from 1998 to 2001.
Amos is 65 years old and was born in Cleveland. He hold a Bachelor of Arts in Classics and Master of Science in Education. He was ordained in 1968. In addition to several parish assignments he was a teacher at Borromeo Seminary High School from 1975 to 1985. He then served in St. Dominic’s Parish, Shaker Heights until 2001 when he was ordained a bishop as an auxiliary for Cleveland.
Update: Just finding out that Dooher is assigned to the South region of the archdiocese and Hennessey to the Central region. Boles was auxiliary for the Central region. The episcopal ordinations will take place on December 12 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, of course.
Technorati Tags:bishops, Boston, Catholic, Cleveland, Vatican
I think Dooher technically replaces Bishop Malone who went to Portland a few years back. He’ll oversee the South Region in which Malone had previously served.
Fr. Erikson, the new Vicar General, while not a Bishop has taken on the responsibilities of Bishop Lennon.
I’m surprised that the Holy Father would appoint a person so involved in LifeTeen. Can we take this as a blessing of it, as oppposed to a condemnation?
I doubt that the fact that St. Mary’s has a Life Teen program even reigstered with anyone in Rome.
Person who uses a fact e-mail address, please, tell me more.
That should say fake…
Mary Jane, please share with us what you are hearing about Fr. Hennessey.