As previously noted this morning, Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Father Arthur L. Kennedy, Ph.D. and Father Peter J. Uglietto, S.T.D. as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Boston. A press conference has been scheduled for 11:00 this morning at the Boston Chancery. A live webstream will be provided on the Archdiocesan website beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Bishop-Elect Arthur Kennedy

Father Arthur Kennedy attended the Pontifical North American College in Rome and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Boston on December 17, 1966 by Bishop Francis Reh, then rector of the NAC. In 1978, Bishop-elect Kennedy received his Doctorate in Theology from Boston University.

Education has been an important part of the Bishop-elect’s ministry. Throughout his priestly service to the church, Kennedy has served on the faculty at the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN), St. John Seminary, and the Angelicum (Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome). He currently serves as the Rector of St. John Seminary.

Bishop-elect Kennedy served at the headquarters for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as the executive director for the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. In fact, the Bishop-elect has written several articles on ecumenical affairs, more recently writing on the Muslim-Catholic dialogue.

Like myself, the Bishop-elect is a product of the schooling of the Sisters of St. Joseph, whom he says have helped and supported him along his vocational journey. Bishop-elect Kennedy will be ordained to the episcopacy and assume his role as Auxiliary Bishop in September. He will continue as the Rector of St. John Seminary for a year until Cardinal Sean O’Malley can name a replacement.

Bishop-Elect Peter Uglietto

Father Peter Uglietto attended St. John Seminary and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Boston on May 21, 1977 by Cardinal Humberto Medeiros. Bishop-elect Kennedy received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Boston College and earned his Masters of Divinity degree from St. John Seminary, Masters of Christian Spirituality from Creighton University (Omaha, NE), Doctor of Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) and Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome.

He has served the Archdiocese of Boston in several capacities, including in the Archdiocesan Office of Spiritual Development and  as spiritual director for the Archdiocesan Permanent Diaconate Program.

Education has also been an important part of Bishop-elect Uglietto’s priestly ministry. He has served as Campus Minister at Regis College and professor of moral theology, Director of Field Education, Academic Dean and Rector-President at Blessed John XXIII National Seminary. He has also served as a spiritual director at St. John Seminary.

Upon his ordination to the episcopacy, Bishop-elect Uglietto will serve as the Regional Bishop of the North Region of the Archdiocese. In that role, he will oversee 63 parishes and 22 schools.

The ordination of the two Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Boston will take place on September 14, 2010 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.