Today the Vatican announced that Pope Francis has named Bishop Salvatore Matano the new head of the Diocese of Rochester, New York. Bishop Matano, who has served as bishop of Burlington, Vermont since 2005, will succeed Bishop Matthew Clark, who retired from the Rochester see last year having reached the mandatory retirement age of 75. Bishop Clark had led the diocese for 33 years.
Bishop Matano was born in Providence, R.I., Sept. 15, 1946 and began his studies at Our Lady of Providence Seminary. He was ordained a priest of the Providence diocese in 1971, and the following year earned a theology licentiate from the Pontifical Gregorian University.
As a priest, he served as a parish priest, high school teacher, college professor, in various posts at the diocesan chancery, with the office of the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., and obtained a doctorate in canon law from the Gregorian in 1983.
Bishop Matano was appointed coadjutor bishop of Burlington in 2005, and succeeded as bishop of the diocese later the same year.
Bishop Matano will be installed in Rochester in early January. During a press conference this morning he said, “My first priority will be to bring people back to Mass…my strategic plan is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
“If you are not practicing the faith, please come home. Come home. We miss you.”
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