This morning I was awakened at 7am with the news that the new bishop had been announced. He is Bishop-elect Gregory J. Hartmayer, a Franciscan Conventual previously the pastor of Saint John Vianney Parish in Lithia Springs, Douglas County, Georgia. Originally from Buffalo, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1979. He spent the first 16 years of his priesthood in Catholic high school education and the past 16 in parish ministry.
Bishop Boland will remain as Apostolic Administrator until the Bishop-elect is ordained and installed on October 18th at the Cathedral in Savannah. This morning at Mass I prayed for Benedict our Pope and Gregory our Bishop-elect. It was a good feeling, though strange since Bishop Boland has been my bishop as far back as I can remember. He became bishop the same year my parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, 1995. We went to Savannah for a special anniversary Mass at the Cathedral and everyone was talking about the new bishop. Before that occasion, I hadn’t really thought much about who the bishop was.
Keep Bishop-elect Hartmayer in your prayers along with our whole diocese as we welcome him and enter into a time of transition.
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