On July 19, Pope Benedict XVI appointed 59-year-old Father Gregory
Hartmayer, OFM Conv., to lead the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia.
He
also accepted the resignation of Bishop J. Kevin Boland, 76, who is one
year past the age of retirement.
The Pope named Bishop Boland apostolic
administrator of the diocese until the ordination of Bishop-elect
Hartmayer in October.
“I am extremely grateful to Pope Benedict
for his confidence in me as the bishop of Savannah,” Bishop-elect
Hartmayer said at a press conference announcing his appointment on
Tuesday.
“I am continually impressed with God's sense of humor and His incredible ability to surprise.”
The
bishop-elect currently serves as the pastor of St. John Vianney parish
in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and will become the 14th bishop of the
Savannah diocese.
Catholics make up nearly three percent, or around 77,000 faithful, in a diocese that encompasses a population of 2.8 million.
Bishop-elect
Hartmayer was born in 1951 in Buffalo, New York and later studied in
the Conventual Franciscan novitiate in Ellicott City, Maryland. He was
ordained a priest for the Franciscan order in 1979.
He said that his Franciscan formation will guide him as a bishop.
“I
bring with me a spirituality of simplicity and joy,” he said. “For
almost 800 years, the Franciscans have been preaching about the love and
mercy of God. This friar and son of St. Francis will continue that
mission of evangelization here a bishop of the Diocese of Savannah.”
In
addition to a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from St. Hyacinth
College and Seminary, in Massachusetts, the bishop-elect holds three
master's degrees: a master of divinity degree from St.
Anthony-on-Hudson, in Rensselaer, New York; a master of arts degree in
pastoral counseling from Emmanuel College, Boston and a master of
education degree from Boston College.
Bishop-elect Hartmayer has
spent 16 of his 32 years of priesthood in Catholic high school education
and the remaining half in parish ministry.
His ordination will take place Oct. 18 at the Cathedral of John the Baptist in Savannah.
The
bishop-elect praised his predecessor Bishop Boland – who has been a
priest of the diocese for more than 50 years – saying, the “people of
Savannah love him.”
“I can tell you without question, he loves you too. I have very, very large shoes to fill.”