Bishop Emeritus Paul S. Loverde
Education
- Bishop Loverde's parents valued Catholic education and sent him to Catholic schools in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, and then La Salle Academy in Providence, Rhode Island.
- The Lord called Bishop Loverde to the priesthood at an early age. He received his B.A., summa cum laude, from Saint Bernard Seminary College, Rochester, New York, and also studied in Rome, Italy, for his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1966.
- Bishop Loverde furthered his education at Catholic University in Washington, DC, earning his Licentiate (JCL) in Canon Law in 1982.
From Priest to Bishop
- Bishop Loverde was ordained a priest for service in the Diocese of Norwich on December 18, 1965, in the Basilica of Saint Peter, Rome, and then served in a variety of assignments both on the parochial and diocesan levels.
- On April 12, 1988, he was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Hartford. On January 17, 1994, he was installed as the eleventh Bishop of Ogdensburg, New York.
Bishop of Arlington
- When he was installed as the third Bishop of Arlington on March 25, 1999, Bishop Loverde established four primary goals for our Diocese: evangelization, unity, reconciliation and service.
- Working toward his original goals, Bishop has helped the Diocese focus on education, charity and addressing the multicultural needs of our area.
- Since coming to the Diocese of Arlington, Bishop Loverde has authored five Pastoral Letters: Growing in Wisdom, Age and Grace; To Remember Well; Bought with a Price; Fountain of Life, Fire of Love; Go Forth with Hearts on Fire. Bishop Loverde has served on the Board of Directors for Christ the King Seminary, East Aurora, New York; Mount Saint Mary's College and Seminary, Emmittsburg, Maryland.
- Currently, he is serving on the following boards: Catholic Distance University, the Catholic University of America, Mount Saint Mary's University, Institute for Psychological Sciences, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Commissariat of the Holy Land, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation
Resources
- View the video: A Light for Others: An Apostle's Calling: A Documentary on the Life of Bishop Loverde
Bishop John R. Keating
Bishop Keating was born on July 20, 1934 in Chicago, Illinois. He was educated at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago for high school, after which he studied at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois and then the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1959 after being ordained a priest on December 20, 1958.
Two years later, he was sent to study canon law at the Gregorian and earned a doctorate in canon law in 1963. After returning to Chicago, then-Father Keating served as parochial vicar in several parishes, as well as assistant chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago, co-chancellor for priest personnel, and a member of the clergy personnel board of the Archdiocese.
Later, he served as vicar general and chancellor of the Archdiocese. On June 7, 1983, he was appointed the second Bishop of Arlington by Pope John Paul II and was consecrated on August 4 that year. Bishop Keating served as the Shepherd of Arlington until his death on March 22, 1998.
Bishop Thomas J. Welsh
Bishop Welsh was born on December 20, 1921 in Weatherly, Pennsylvania. He studied for the priesthood at St. Charles Seminary in Overbrook, Pennsylvania, and was ordained a priest on May 30, 1946, and then studied at the Catholic University of America, earning a doctorate in canon law in 1949. After finishing his doctoral studies, then-Father Welsh served in various roles in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, including professor at a Catholic high school, member of the marriage tribunal, vice-chancellor of the Archdiocese.
In 1965, Pope Paul the VI named him a Monsignor, after which Monsignor Welsh served as rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. On February 18, 1970, Pope Paul VI appointed him auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia, and he was consecrated on April 2, 1970.
On June 4, 1974, then-Monsignor Welsh was appointed the first Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, which was a brand new diocese, having formerly been part of the Diocese of Richmond. He was installed on August 13, 1974. Bishop Welsh served as the Shepherd of the Diocese of Arlington until he was appointed the second Bishop of Allentown on February 3, 1983 and succeeded by Bishop Keating. He later retired as Bishop of Allentown on December 15, 1997 and died on February 19, 2009.
