This morning, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Monsignor Donald Hanchon and Father Michael Byrnes as Auxiliary Bishops for the Archdiocese of Detroit. The bishops-elect will be ordained to the episcopacy during a May 5, 2011 ordination Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.

Below is the announcement from the Archdiocese:

Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament | Detroit, Michigan

“It’s a great blessing for the archdiocese to have auxiliary bishops to lead two of the pastoral regions, as well as to perform other pastoral duties inherent in a bishop’s role,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “Certainly it’s an honor for a priest to be selected for this level of responsibility. More than an honor, it’s about new capacity for sharing Christ with others.”

Bishop-designate Donald Hanchon

Bishop-designate Hanchon, 63, was born in Jackson, attended St. Mary grade school in Wayne and Sacred Heart Seminary High School in Detroit. He attended Sacred Heart Seminary, St. John’s Provincial Seminary, University of Notre Dame, and University of Detroit, and was ordained a priest Oct. 19, 1974 at St. Mary Church in Wayne by Bishop Joseph Imesch. He has spent his priesthood serving at a number of parishes in Detroit, Monroe, Warren and Port Huron. He has been pastor of Holy Redeemer in Detroit since 1999 and in 2009 was named episcopal vicar for the archdiocese’s Central Region. He also has taught at Sacred Heart Major Seminary and has served as archdiocesan coordinator for Hispanic ministries.

“I renew my confidence in God’s grace, and humbly accede to the Holy Father’s wish to appoint me as a bishop to work under Archbishop Vigneron in the service of the people of the Archdiocese of Detroit,” said Bishop-designate Hanchon. “I promise obedience because I believe that the God who began this good work in me all those years ago will indeed bring it to fulfillment. I thank Archbishop Vigneron for his trust in me, and his joyful encouragement to serve.”

This morning, Pope Benedict XVI named Fr. William Waltersheid, Secretary for Clergy and the Consecrated Life in the Diocese of Harrisburg, as Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Here’s part of a news release on Bishop-elect Waltersheid released by the Diocese of Pittsburgh:

Bishop-elect William Waltersheid | Source: Republican Herald

William John Waltersheid was born in 1956 in Ashland, PA. He is the son of the late William F. and Margaret M. (Deane) Waltersheid.

Baptized in St. Joseph Church in Locust Gap, he spent his childhood and early adult years there. After graduating high school in 1974, he worked in the health care field and graduated from the Pottsville Hospital School of Nursing in 1983.

In 1985, he was accepted as a candidate for the seminary formation program of the Diocese of Harrisburg. He studied at St. John Seminary College in Brighton, Massachusetts and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in philosophy and classical languages.

In 1988, he was sent by Bishop William H. Keeler of Harrisburg to the Pontifical North American College in Rome for continued formation for the priesthood. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology in 1991 from the Pontifical Gregorian University and a Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology from that same university.

This morning, the Holy Father appointed Bishop James Peter Sartain (Bishop of Joliet) as the fifth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle. As many in the Catholic blogosphere have mentioned over the past year, the appointment of the next leader of the Seattle church has been one of the longest awaited American appointment. As you may recall, Archbishop Alex Brunett reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 in January 2009.

Here is more information on Bishop Sartain from the Diocese of Joliet:

Courtesy: Diocese of Joliet

Bishop Sartain was born on June 6, 1952 in Memphis, Tennessee. On July 15, 1978 he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Memphis. He was appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock on January 4, 2000 and was ordained on March 6, 2000.

Bishop Sartain attended St. Meinrad College in Indiana, studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, and earned a licentiate of sacred theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum San Anselmo in Rome in 1979.

In addition to his pastoral experience as a parochial vicar and as a pastor, Bishop Sartain also has considerable administrative experience, having served as Director of Vocations, Chancellor, Moderator of the Curia, Vicar for Clergy, and Vicar General. He has also been a chaplain, academic dean for the permanent diaconate formation program, and a member of the Advisory Council for the Institute for Priestly Formation.

He currently is a member of the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Source: Diocese of Joliet

Okay, so I was close…just a little off. This morning, the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, made the following appointments here in the stateside church:

• Bishop Joseph McFadden as the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg.
• Monsignor Michael Fitzgerald as Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The appointment of this new Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese comes only two weeks after the previous appointment, which saw Msgr. John J. McIntyre raise to the rank of Auxiliary Bishop.

A press conference with Justin Cardinal Rigali is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. to make the announcements. Live feed will be available on the Archdiocesan website. An additional press conference has been scheduled for 10 a.m. in Harrisburg to announce their new bishop. More to come on the appointments shortly.