Pope appoints new leader for Portland archdiocese

Last updated on: January 29, 2013 at 5:35 pm by CNA Daily News

Pope appoints new leader for Portland archdiocese 2013-01-29T17:35:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Portland, Ore., Jan 29, 2013 / 10:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI has named Bishop Alexander K. Sample of Marquette, Mich., to shepherd the archdiocese of Portland, Ore.

In a Jan. 29 statement, Archbishop-designate Sample noted his “excitement and joy at taking up this new challenge that God has placed before me.”

“I have always tried to be obedient to the will of God and to accept whatever the Church asks of me to be God’s will,” he said Tuesday.

“It is in this spirit that I have said 'yes' to the Holy Father’s request for me to serve the Church in a new place in western Oregon.”

However, he said he is leaving the Catholic Church in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula “with a certain heaviness of heart.”

“I will profoundly miss the people, the clergy and religious of the diocese. I will miss my brother priests in a special way, since I was chosen from among them to be their bishop.”

The 52-year-old archbishop-designate will succeed Archbishop John G. Vlazny, who submitted his resignation last year when he reached the canonical age limit of 75.

Archbishop-designate Sample has been Bishop of Marquette since 2006. He was 45 at the time of his ordination and was the youngest U.S. bishop at the time.

He serves on U.S. bishops’ conference subcommittees on Native American Catholics and on the catechism. He is vice-postulator for the canonization cause of Venerable Frederic Baraga, the Diocese of Marquette’s first bishop.

The archbishop-designate was born in Kalispell, Montana in 1960. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in metallurgical engineering before completing philosophy studies at the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. in 1986, the Diocese of Marquette reports. He studied for the priesthood at the Pontifical College Josephinum Seminary in Ohio and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Marquette on June 1, 1990 by Bishop Mark F. Schmitt.

There are more than 415,000 Catholics in the western Oregon archdiocese, where they make up 12 percent of the archdiocese’s total population. There are 150 diocesan priests, almost 400 women religious, 78 brothers and 79 permanent archdeacons.

The archdiocese has 124 parishes, 22 missions, 40 Catholic elementary schools, 10 Catholic high schools, two Catholic colleges and universities and 10 Catholic hospitals.

The archdiocese is the second oldest in the U.S. after Baltimore. Its present territory is almost 30,000 square miles and reaches the state borders of Washington and California.

Archbishop-designate Sample will serve as administrator of the Diocese of Marquette until he is installed as archbishop in Portland.

Bud Bunce, the Archdiocese of Portland's director of communications, told CNA that Archbishop-designate Sample's installation will take place on April 2. The time and venue are still to be determined.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

January 29, 2013

Vatican official hopes legal dialogue will help persecuted Christians

Next Post

January 29, 2013 Pope's World Day of the Sick message in Arabic for first time

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which religious tradition sees the Genesis flood story as parallel to the Epic of Gilgamesh?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ancient Mesopotamian religion Hinduism Greek mythology Zoroastrianism