From the Journal Gazette

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, a Pennsylvania native who has headed the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pa., since 2004, will replace retiring Bishop John M. D'Arcy as head of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese.

Calling it "an historic day and a day of great joy," D'Arcy announced the naming of his successor by Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday morning at Fort Wayne's Archbishop Noll Catholic Center before the media and about 80 diocesan staff and clergy.

Attendees gave both the new bishop and D'Arcy a standing ovation.

D'Arcy said the new bishop, the diocese's ninth, comes with "wonderful" credentials, including five years as bishop in a diocese larger than the local one, degrees in theology and canon law, experience as a faculty member and rector of Mount Saint Mary's Seminary near Baltimore, and a knack for increasing interest in the priesthood.

"We have received an exemplary priest," said D'Arcy, pointing out that during Rhoades' tenure in Harrisburg the number of men studying to be priests increased from 11 to 25. Rhoades' "main expertise," D'Arcy said, "is the careful screening and sound formation of priests."

Rhoades also is fluent in Spanish, which D'Arcy said will be "a great blessing" to the growing number of Spanish-speaking Catholics in the diocese. "This is one of the things I asked for from the Holy See," D'Arcy said.

Rhoades, 51, leaves the diocese in which he grew up as well as president of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. He was born in the small town of Mahanoy City, Schuylkill County, in northeast Pennsylvania's anthracite coal region and spent his childhood in Lebanon in the Harrisburg area of central Pennsylvania.

He said he had been to Indiana only once before – to attend a Penn State-Notre Dame football game, afterward saying Mass at Notre Dame's basilica.

"One of my first tasks is to get Notre Dame back on the Penn State schedule," he said with a laugh.

Meet the priests

Rhoades said his first priority will be "to meet and get to know the priests" and their parishioners. He says he hopes to promote vocations and further evangelism in the spirit of Pope John Paul II, whom he called "my hero."

"I very much have the mind-set of John Paul, to preach the Gospel with vigor and enthusiasm," he said, adding that being a bishop of a diocese with several colleges and universities is "going to be very new to me." But, he said, "to promote the Catholic identity" of such institutions is extremely important.

Word of the new bishop's arrival spread quickly after staff members were told of the pending announcement.

Celebrating Friday's noon Mass at Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Chapel, D'Arcy told attendees that the new bishop would be at the chapel's 8 a.m. Mass on Saturday.

Usually, only a few people attend, but the Mass "was packed," said Vince LaBarbera, diocese spokesman. Rhoades was a concelebrant and spoke informally to attendees.

Lori Winters, 48, of Fort Wayne, a Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception parish member who attended the 8 a.m. Mass, said she was pleased with the selection, calling Rhoades "young, energetic and … very personable."

‘Nice personality'

"He has a nice personality, in my opinion, very open, and seems a caring type of individual. I think I can read people pretty well, and I think he is going to be a great asset to our diocese," she said.

Gail Ryan, 46, a member of Fort Wayne's Queen of Angels parish and the mother of four children, said she hoped the new bishop "would be as dedicated to Catholic education," as the retiring bishop. She added she admired D'Arcy for his handling of the sexual abuse scandal and his determination to protect young people.

"He's (D'Arcy) been very good at saying this is not to be tolerated. … He's very strongly been saying we need good, strong men to become priests."

D'Arcy said he and Rhoades have known about the selection for three weeks, after each having received a telephone call from the Apostolic Nuncio of the United States.

The two drove to South Bend for a news conference Saturday afternoon, and Rhoades plans to return to Harrisburg today.

Installation

Rhoades will be installed during a Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Jan. 13. D'Arcy will serve as apostolic administrator until then.

D'Arcy said his future plans include staying in Fort Wayne in the house he has occupied for the past 24 years and assisting his successor – as well as arguing the finer points of baseball with him.

Before the news conference ended, D'Arcy said he had to make one more announcement. "Nobody's perfect," he said. "The new bishop is a New York Yankees fan." The remark drew prolonged laughter from attendees, who know D'Arcy's lifelong passion for the Yankees' archrivals, the Boston Red Sox. "As this bishop knows, in every moment of joy there is a cross somewhere," he said.

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