December 13, 2002 - Cardinal Law resigns; Bishop Lennon appointed administrator

(See Cardinal Law's statement)

December 13, 2002 - The Vatican - Pope John Paul II has accepted the resignation from the pastoral government of the archdiocese of Boston (U.S.A.), of Cardinal Bernard Francis Law, in compliance with canon 401 § 2 of the Code of Canonical Law.

Appointment of the Apostolic Administrator for the Archdiocese of Boston

Pope John Paul II has named Bishop. Richard Gerard Lennon, titular Bishop of Sufes and Auxiliary Bishop of the Boston as Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Boston .

Bishop Richard Gerard Lennon

(See Bishop Lennon's statement)

Bishop Richard Gerard Lennon was born March 26, 1947 in Arlington, son of the late Albert and the late Mary (Halligan) Lennon. He graduated from Matignon High School in Cambridge in 1965 and St. John Seminary College in 1969. At the seminary, he attained his master’s in Sacremental Theology in 1973, and his master’s in Church History in 1984.

He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston on May 19, 1973. He served as parochial vicar at St. Mary of the Nativity Parish in Scituate from 1973-1982, and parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish in Quincy from 1982-1988.

In 1988, he was named assistant for Canonical Affairs for the archdiocese, a position he held for ten years. In 1999, he was named rector at St. John Seminary.

On June 29, 2001 he was appointed by Pope John Paul II as titular Bishop of Sufes and Auxiliary Bishop of Boston. He was ordained to the episcopate on September 14, 2001.

(Other press releases and statements)

Copyright © 2004-2006 Archdiocese of Boston; all rights reserved