Basilica of St. Peter, Vatican | Source: Wikipedia

It has been quite a couple of months, some of the busiest the blog has ever seen. In all, we have seen ten holy men appointed Archbishops or Bishops to various dioceses throughout the United States since April. Three liturgies of either welcome or installation have already been celebrated; these include, the welcome ceremony for Coadjutor Archbishop Jose Gomez in Los Angeles, the installation of Archbishop Thomas Wenski in Miami, and the installation of Bishop Thomas Paprocki in Springfield, IL. In the upcoming months, we will see the remaining seven ordained and/or installed in various celebrations:

• Bishop-elect Timothy Doherty will be ordained to the episcopacy and installed as the sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana on July 15, 2010.
• Bishop-elect David O’Connell will be ordained to episcopacy and welcomed as the Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton on July 30, 2010 in the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.
• Bishop-elect John J. McIntyre will be ordained to the episcopacy and take over the office of Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on August 6, 2010 at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul.
• Bishop-elect Michael Fitzgerald will be ordained to the episcopacy and take over the office of Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on August 6, 2010 at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul.
• Bishop-designate William Patrick Callahan will be installed as the tenth Bishop of the Diocese of Lacrosse on August 11, 2010.
• Bishop-designate Joseph McFadden will be installed as the tenth Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg on August 18, 2010.
• Bishop-elect F. Richard Spencer will be ordained to the episcopacy and take over the office of Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services during a 2:00 p.m. celebration at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC on September 8, 2010.

Good morning, folks! At Roman noontime today, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, named Fr. David O’Connell, outgoing president of the Catholic University of American and a Vincentian Father, as Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton. As Coadjutor Bishop in Trenton, the Bishop-elect will succeed Bishop John Smith when the Holy Father accepts his resignation as Bishop.  Bishop-elect O’Connel will be ordained to the Episcopacy on July 30, 2010.

Below is the announcement from Bishop Smith:

Coadjutor Bishop-Elect O'Connell

When the Holy Father’s personal representative to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio, informed me that Pope Benedict XVI had appointed the Very Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M. as Coadjutor Bishop of Trenton, I instantly knew that the future of the Diocese of Trenton would be in good and capable hands. A Coadjutor bishop comes to a diocese with the right of succession. That is he automatically becomes the bishop of the diocese upon the death or retirement of his predecessor. Coadjutor Bishop-elect David M. O’Connell will succeed me as Bishop of Trenton when the Holy Father accepts my resignation. Church law regulates that a bishop must submit his resignation to the Holy Father on his seventy fifth birthday. The Pope then decides when the resignation will be accepted and became effective. By God’s good grace and love, I will be seventy five on June 23 of this year 2010.

How blessed the Diocese of Trenton is to receive as coadjutor bishop, a priest of David O’Connell’s experience, scholastic depth, pastoral sensitivity and national reputation. A member of the Eastern province of the Congregation of the Missions ( the Vincentians) Coadjutor Bishop-elect O’Connell stepped down this year after completing twelve years as the President of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.