Maryland native, archdiocesan auxiliary bishop and vicar for six central and western Maryland counties, the Most Rev. W. Francis Malooly has been tapped by Pope Benedict XVI to shepherd the Diocese of Wilmington?s 228,000 Roman Catholics.
Malooly, 63, will be installed as the ninth bishop of the 58-parish diocese, which covers all of Delaware, Cecil County and Maryland?s Eastern Shore, on Sept. 8 at St. Elizabeth Church in Wilmington.
“I was delighted when the apostolic nuncio called me a monthago and asked if I would accept the Holy Father?s offer,” said Malooly, who hails from Parkville and has been a Maryland priest for 38 years.
“I know a good number of the priests there,” Malooly added, “and [retiring] Bishop Salterelli is a good friend of mine.”
Once installed, Malooly will focus on evangelization, Catholic schools and settling any remaining molestation issues pending against diocesan priests, he said.
Cardinal William Keeler ordained Malooly a bishop and appointed auxiliary for the archdiocese?s 520,000 Catholics in 2001. Salterelli had to submit his resignation when he turned 75, which the pope accepted.
A troubleshooter and genial chancery fixture for almost 20 years, Malooly has served in posts ranging from assistant pastor and youth retreat house administrator to chancellor, priest personnel director and vicar general.
“Like the good shepherd, he knows his flock and they know him,” Archbishop Edwin F. O?Brien said of his friend and second in command. “His [institutional knowledge] has been invaluable … .We?re going to face a major reorganization here as result of the loss of Bishop Malooly.”
O?Brien noted that a replacement is entirely up to the pope, and that an archbishop cannot even submit candidate names until the auxiliary leaves and the pontiff invites recommendations.
“We?re losing a good one. Congratulations to the faithful of Wilmington,” O?Brien added. He suggested that Malooly?s pastoral reputationand familiarity with regional issues and personalities likely got him noticed in Rome.
“I?ve known Bishop Malooly for some 25 years,” said Mike Batza, a parishioner at St. Joseph?s parish in Texas, Md., “and I think the world of him. He?s a terrific person and an even better priest, and has the diplomatic and personal skills to deal with all kinds of issues.”
“Because of his strong faith, his love of ministry and his excellent administrative skills, Fran will make a wonderful bishop of Wilmington,” said Malooly?s sister, Martha Hackman, parishioner at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore.
