Our Diocese of Rockville Centre witnessed the ordination of two new auxiliary bishops yesterday. Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre welcomed the appointments.
“I wish to express my fervent thanks to the Holy Father for responding so quickly to my request for two auxiliary bishops to help me pastor this fifth largest diocese in our nation,” he said at a June 8 press conference with the bishops-designate.
“Dear friends, this is great news. We thank the Lord and his Blessed Mother. Praised be Jesus Christ!”
The new bishops are John Brennan of the Diocese of Rockville Centre and Nelson J. Perez of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
“I hope and pray I am up to the task,” Bishop Brennan said. “I would like to especially thank the Holy Father who has extended this call to serve the Lord in a new way. I ask your prayers that I may offer to the Lord and you my joyful, humble loving service.”
Bishop Perez addressed Bishop Murphy and the faithful of the diocese.
“I come to all of you with a deep love for the Lord, his Church, and a profound love for the priesthood, that I received as a wonderful gift 23 years ago,” he said.
“I am filled with excitement and enthusiasm to get to know my brother priests, deacons, religious and faithful of this great diocese and learn all I can possibly learn to serve you, with the grace of God, to the very best of my ability.”
Bishop Brennan was born in New York on June 7, 1962 and ordained a priest in 1989. He has been a pastor in several parishes and served as private secretary to bishops of Rockville Centre. He has also served as vicar-general of the Diocese of Rockville Centre since 2002 and will continue in that position.
Bishop Perez was born in Miami, Florida on June 16, 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1989. His parents were immigrants from Cuba. He has served at several Philadelphia-area parishes and taught at La Salle University and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. He also worked in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Office for Hispanic Catholics.
He will serve as vicar for the Rockville Centre diocese’s Eastern Region, filling the role of Bishop Peter Libasci who now heads the Diocese of Manchester in New Hampshire.
Bishop Murphy praised the new bishops.
“God has blessed this Diocese with good and holy priests and now two new auxiliary bishops, one a native son, the second, a Cuban American,” he said.
The bishop prayed that God grant the archdiocese “the grace, the healing, and the wisdom to face the many challenges that it confronts.”
