It has been awhile since a new bishop was appointed by Rome here in the U.S. Nonetheless, it has been a busy year for episcopal appointments in this country. Yesterday, the Holy Father named Msgr. Bernard Hebda, a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh working in Rome, as the bishop of Gaylord, Michigan. He succeeds Bishop Patrick Cooney, whose resignation was accepted by the Holy Father due to him having reached the age limit.
With this appointment there are now nine ordinaries over 75 still serving their dioceses and eight Latin Rite dioceses that are vacant: Cheyenne, WY; Duluth, MN; Owensboro, KY; Milwaukee, WI; Ogdensburg, NY; Springfield, Il; Austin, TX; Scranton, PA. As you can see, there will be plenty more appointments to follow in the coming months.
Veni Sancti Spiritus, veni per Mariam.
