Three years ago ... right about now

Three years ago (Tuesday 19 April 2005), at about 5.50pm (Rome time; 10.50am US Central time), Catholics in Rome and around the world were surprized to see white smoke appearing from the chimney from the Sistine Chapel.

Just under an hour later, Pope Benedict XVI was introduced to the world.

Ad Multos Annos!

96 Years Ago ... Just About Now

The great and grand ocean liner called the Titanic, on her maiden voyage, struck an iceberg. A few hours she was gone ... taking with her more than 1,500 lives.

USA Anniversaries - April 2008

If folks are interested, I'll try to post these each month. All the birthdays are listed, but only "major" anniversaries (i.e., ends in 0 or 5) are included.
Birthdays:

• 92/5th - Bishop Albert Henry Ottenweller; Emeritus of Steubenville, OH
  
• 84/5th - Bishop Thaddeus Joseph Jakubowski; Auxiliary Emeritus of Chicago, IL
  
• 83/16th - Bishop Anthony Edward Pevec; Auxiliary Emeritus of Cleveland, OH
  
• 81/2nd - Archbishop Rembert George Weakland O.S.B.; Emeritus of Milwaukee, WI
  
• 81/13th - Bishop William Henry Bullock; Emeritus of Madison, WI
  
• 79/14th - Bishop Jude Speyrer; Emeritus of Lake Charles, LA
  
• 78/1st - Bishop Francis Joseph Gossman; Emeritus of Raleigh, NC
  
• 77/30th - Bishop Eugene John Gerber; Emeritus of Wichita, KS
  
• 76/2nd - Edward Michael Cardinal Egan; Archbishop of New York, NY
  
• 76/8th - Bishop Alexander James Quinn; Auxiliary of Cleveland, OH
  
• 76/29th - Bishop John Martin Dougherty; Auxiliary of Scranton, PA
  
• 75/25th - Bishop Philip Francis Straling; Emeritus of Reno, NV
  
• 73/19th - Justin Francis Cardinal Rigali; Archbishop of Philadelphia, PA
  
• 73/25th - Bishop John Kevin Boland; Savannah, GA
  
• 70/20th - Archbishop Daniel Mark Buechlein O.S.B.; Indianapolis, IN
  
• 69/8th - Archbishop Edwin Frederick O'Brien; Baltimore, MD
  
• 66/10th - Bishop John Stephen Knight; Auxiliary Emeritus of Toronto, ON
  
• 66/15th - Bishop Francis Xavier DiLorenzo; Richmond, VA
  
• 66/22nd - Bishop Ronald Paul Herzog; Alexandria, LA
  
• 66/23rd - Bishop Ronald Michael Gilmore; Dodge City, KS
  
• 66/25th - Bishop Gerald Thomas Walsh; Auxiliary of New York, NY
  
• 65/3rd - Bishop Armando Xavier Ochoa; El Paso, TX
  
• 64/18th - Bishop Arthur Joseph Serratelli; Paterson, NJ
  
• 63/13th - Bishop Donald Edmond Pelotte S.S.S.; Gallup, NM
  
• 61/24th - Bishop Richard John Garcia; Monterey in California, CA
  
• 60/1st - Bishop Thomas Joseph Tobin; Providence, RI
  
• 60/18th - Bishop Joseph Nathaniel Perry; Auxiliary of Chicago, IL
  
• 57/10th - Bishop Earl Alfred Boyea, Jr.; Lansing, MI
  
• 56/20th - Bishop Robert Francis Hennessey; Auxiliary of Boston, MA
  
• 55/2nd - Bishop Robert William Finn; Kansas City-Saint Joseph, MO
  
• 54/13th - Bishop Michael Owen Jackels; Wichita, KS
  
• 44/27th - Bishop Daniel Fernandez Torres; Auxiliary of San Juan de Puerto Rico
  

Ordination to the Priesthood:

• 50 yrs/12th - Archbishop James Patrick Keleher; Emeritus of Kansas City in Kansas, KS
  
• 30 yrs/1st - Bishop Peter Anthony Libasci; Auxiliary of Rockville Centre, NY
  
• 30 yrs/29th - Bishop-elect Michael Gerard Duca; Bishop-elect of Shreveport, LA

Consecration as a Bishop:

• 35 yrs/3rd - Bishop Joseph Leopold Imesch; Emeritus of Joliet in Illinois, IL
  
• 35 yrs/27th - Bishop Raymond William Lessard; Emeritus of Savannah, GA
  
• 35 yrs/27th - Bishop Anthony Francis Mestice; Auxiliary Emeritus of New York, NY
  
• 30 yrs/20th - Archbishop Eusebius Joseph Beltran; Oklahoma City, OK
  
• 25 yrs/7th - Bishop David Arias P‚rez O.A.R.; Auxiliary Emeritus of Newark, NJ
  
• 20 yrs/11th - Bishop John Robert Gorman; Auxiliary Emeritus of Chicago, IL
  
• 20 yrs/11th - Bishop Thaddeus Joseph Jakubowski; Auxiliary Emeritus of Chicago, IL
  
• 20 yrs/12th - Bishop Paul Stephen Loverde; Arlington, VA
  
• 5 yrs/22th - Bishop Roger Paul Morin; Auxiliary of New Orleans, LA

Ad Multos Annos!

Fr. Michael J. McGivney, founder of Knights of Columbus

Today the Holy Father promulgated a decree of Heroic Virtue for Fr. Michael J. McGivney. Among other things he was the founder of the Knights of Columbus fraternal order.

This is one of the early steps in the process which might lead to a formal Beatification or Canonization.

USA Anniversaries - March 2008

If folks are interested, I'll try to post these each month. All the birthdays are listed, but only "major" anniversaries (i.e., ends in 0 or 5) are included.
(number of years/day in March 2008)
Birthdays:

• 89/8th - Bishop Patrick Vincent Ahern; Auxiliary Emeritus of New York
  
• 89/21st - Bishop Timothy Joseph Lyne; Auxiliary Emeritus of Chicago, IL
  
• 86/10th - Bishop Patrick Joseph Thomas Sheridan; Auxiliary Emeritus of New York
  
• 81/13th - Bishop Dominic Anthony Marconi; Auxiliary Emeritus of Newark, NJ
  
• 80/3rd - Bishop John Stephen Cummins; Emeritus of Oakland, CA
  
• 79/28th - Archbishop John Raphael Quinn; Emeritus of San Francisco, CA
  
• 78/18th - Adam Joseph Cardinal Maida; Detroit, MI
  
• 78/23rd - Bishop Joseph Michael Sullivan; Auxiliary Emeritus of Brooklyn, NY
  
• 77/4th - William Henry Cardinal Keeler; Emeritus of Baltimore, MD
  
• 77/22nd - Bishop Robert William Donnelly; Auxiliary Emeritus of Toledo, OH
  
• 75/2nd - Bishop Arthur Nicholas Tafoya; Pueblo, CO
  
• 75/15th - Bishop Edward Peter Cullen; Allentown, PA
  
• 74/2nd - Bishop William Stephen Skylstad; Spokane, WA
  
• 74/10th - Bishop Patrick Ronald Cooney; Gaylord, MI
  
• 74/20th - Archbishop Robert Fortune Sanchez; Emeritus of Santa Fe, NM
  
• 71/26th - Bishop Roger William Gries, O.S.B.; Auxiliary of Cleveland, OH
  
• 70/4th - Bishop Sam Gallip Jacobs; Houma-Thibodaux, LA
  
• 69/27th - Bishop Lawrence Eugene Brandt; Greensburg, PA
  
• 68/8th - Bishop Denis James Madden; Auxiliary of Baltimore, MD
  
• 67/7th - Bishop Roger Paul Morin; Auxiliary of New Orleans, LA
  
• 67/14th - Bishop Sarhad Yawsip Hermiz Jammo; Saint Peter the Apostle of San Diego (Chaldean)
  
• 66/3rd - Bishop Richard Stephen Seminack; Saint Nicolas of Chicago (Ukrainian)
  
• 65/6th - Bishop Dominick John Lagonegro; Auxiliary of New York
  
• 63/4th - Bishop Michael John Sheridan; Colorado Springs
  
• 63/17th - Bishop Dennis Joseph Sullivan; Auxiliary of New York
  
• 62/19th - Bishop Richard Joseph Malone; Portland, ME
  
• 61/3rd - Bishop Daniel Robert Jenky, C.S.C.; Peoria, IL
  
• 61/18th - Archbishop John Clayton Nienstedt; Coadjutor of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, MN
  
• 61/26th - Bishop Richard Gerard Lennon; Cleveland, OH
  
• 59/12th - Bishop Jerome Edward Listecki; La Crosse, WI
  
• 59/19th - Bishop Blase Joseph Cupich; Rapid City, SD
  
• 59/27th - Bishop Thomas John Rodi; Biloxi, MS
  
• 58/9th - Bishop Frank Joseph Dewane; Venice, FL
  
• 51/3rd - Bishop Peter Joseph Jugis; Charlotte, NC
  
• 49/29th - Bishop Frank Joseph Caggiano; Auxiliary of Brooklyn, NY

Ordination to the Priesthood:

• 65/27th - Bishop Arthur Joseph O'Neill; Emeritus of Rockford, IL
  
• 45/25th - Bishop Robert Mikhail Moskal; Saint Josaphat in Parma (Ukrainian)
  
• 45/30th - Bishop Anthony Joseph O’Connell; Emeritus of Palm Beach, FL
  
• 45/30th - Bishop Daniel Francis Walsh; Santa Rosa in CA
  
• 45/30th - Bishop Robert Joseph Hermann; Auxiliary of Saint Louis, MO
  
• 40/9th - Bishop Richard Brendan Higgins; Auxiliary of USA Military

Consecration as a Bishop:

• 30/2nd - Bishop Kenneth Donald Steiner; Auxiliary of Portland in OR
  
• 30/9th - Bishop George Otto Wirz; Auxiliary Emeritus of Madison, WI
  
• 30/13th - Bishop Thomas Joseph Costello; Auxiliary Emeritus of Syracuse, NY
  
• 20/8th - Bishop Francis Xavier DiLorenzo; Richmond, VA
  
• 20/25th - Bishop Raymond James Boland; Emeritus of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, MO
  
• 15/4th - Bishop Charles Michael Jarrell; Lafayette, LA
  
• 15/10th - Bishop James Anthony Tamayo; Laredo, TX
  
• 10/3rd - Bishop Gordon Dunlap Bennett, S.J.; Emeritus of Mandeville, Jamaica (born in Denver, Co)
  
• 10/19th - Archbishop James Michael Harvey; Prefect of the Prefecture of the Papal Household (born in Milwaukee, WI)
  
• 5/7th - Bishop Joseph Nunzio Latino; Jackson, MS
  
• 5/19th - Consecrated in the same ceremony:
  • Bishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S.; Auxiliary of Chicago, IL
    
  • Bishop Francis Joseph Kane; Auxiliary of Chicago, IL
    
  • Bishop Thomas John Joseph Paprocki; Auxiliary of Chicago, IL

The following are scheduled to be consecrated as bishops this month:

• 27th - Bishop-elect Gerald Nicholas Dino; Van Nuys (Ruthenian)
  
• 29th - Archbishop-elect Joseph Marino; Apostolic Nuncio to Bangladesh (born in Birmingham, AL)
  
• 31st - Bishop-elect James Vann Johnston, Jr.; Springfield-Cape Girardeau, MO

Ad Multos Annos!

Overview: Province of Washington (DC) and the American Virgin Islands

This province is composed of just two jurisdictions. The metropolitan is the Archdiocese of Washington (DC) and the one suffragan is the Diocese of Saint Thomas, American Virgin Islands.

Archbishop Donald William Wuerl (67) is the ordinary of the Archdiocese of Washington. He has been in this post for less than 2 years. He is assisted by two Auxiliary Bishops: González Valer (68) and Holley (53). The former celebrated his 6th anniversary of consecration as a bishop just over a fortnight ago.

Theodore Edgar Cardinal McCarrick is the previous ordinary of the Archdiocese. He turns 80 (and thus loses his right to vote if a conclave is required) in July 2010. If my previous speculation that the next consistory to create cardinals is held in the 2nd half of 2010, then it seems very likely that Archbishop Wuerl would receive a red hat at that time.

The Diocese of Saint Thomas has been vacant for a bit over a year now. It seems very likely to be getting a new bishop this year.

Other than a new ordinary for St. Thomas, no changes to the hierarchy seem likely in this province this year.

Overview: Province of Washington (State)

The Province of the state of Washington includes the metropolitan - the Archdiocese of Seattle - and its 2 suffragan Dioceses: Spokane and Yakima.

Archbishop Alexander Joseph Brunett (74) is the ordinary of the Archdiocese of Seattle. He has held this position for over 10 years. He is assisted by two Auxiliary Bishops: Elizondo Almaguer (53) and Tyson (50). Both have been in their posts for less than 3 years.

The Diocese of Spokane is led by Bishop William Stephen Skylstad who turns 74 this coming Sunday.

Bishop Carlos Arthur Sevilla, S.J. (72) is the head of the Diocese of Yakima.

This province is not likely to see any changes in its hierarchy this year. Next year, however, is a different story. Both Archbishop Brunett and Bishop Skylstad will turn 75 and may well retire and have replacements named in 2009.