Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan is a former pastor in some of New York’s most impoverished neighborhoods. The 67-year-old rose over four decades to became an auxiliary bishop in the Manhattan-based archdiocese.
courierpostonline.com/article/20130109/NEWS01/301090024/New-York-bishop-replace-Galante-head-Diocese-CamdenSullivan, who is fluent in Spanish, has a deep involvement with Hispanics and other Catholic immigrants, as well as the poor, church officials said. He also is described as a capable administrator — “my right hand,” according to New York City Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Galante described his time in South Jersey as the happiest in his 20-year career as a bishop. He previously held that position at the Texas dioceses of San Antonio, Beaumont and Dallas.
Galante surprised some listeners at Tuesday’s press conference by describing his need for dialysis as “one of the greatest blessings of my life.” The bishop said he typically prays and reflects during his thrice-weekly dialysis sessions of four hours each.
“Being tethered to that machine, I can have life,” he observed. “I look at it and I say, ‘Well, I’m tethered to God, too.’ ”
Long thought to be bound for a diocese closer to his hometown’s orbit – the currently vacant Bridgeport or Rochester posts or the soon-to-be-open bishopric of Albany – even for its lower profile, Camden’s Catholic population is considerably larger than any of Sullivan’s previously-rumored destinations.
More to the point, however, the South Jersey move for a career pastor who became the Chancery whiz behind two New York cardinals matches a key piece of the nominee’s experience to his new charge’s dominant challenge of recent years.
Much as its heavy lifting has already been well accomplished, the Camden church still remains on the mend after a staggering 2008 reconfiguration that saw its number of parishes slashed nearly in half, from 132 to 70.
whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2013/01/camden-goes-gotham-dolans-deputy-to_8.htmlWhile the burden of pastoral planning has become the lot of every Northeastern bishop amid massive demographic shifts both within the region’s dioceses and beyond – not to mention significant losses of active priests in a short time-frame as the last large ordination classes reach retirement age – few processes have been as rapid and sweeping as Camden’s, which saw the 32 decrees forming the new communities completed in just over three years.