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Most
Reverend Bishop
Francis Xavier
DiLorenzo
Bishop
of Richmond |
Francis Xavier DiLorenzo was named Bishop of Richmond by
Pope John Paul II on 31 March 2004.
Born on15 April 1942, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bishop
DiLorenzo is the oldest of three children born to Samuel and
Anita Porrino DiLorenzo. His younger sister is Anita Lawler
and his younger brother is Paul DiLorenzo.
Bishop DiLorenzo attended St. Callistus Elementary School
and St. Thomas More High School. In 1960, he enrolled in St.
Charles Borromeo Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood
for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by John Cardinal Krol on
18 May 1968. He served in the Philadelphia Archdiocese in
pastoral and educational assignments from 1968 to 1971. He
was the parochial vicar at Saint Joseph Parish in Warrington
from1968 to 1969. He served as chaplain at Archbishop Woods
High School for Girls, Warminster during that same period.
He was an instructor in biology and religion at Cardinal
Dougherty High School, Philadelphia from 1969 to1971. |
In 1971 he was sent to Rome for continued studies
specializing in moral theology. He earned a license in
sacred theology in 1973 from the Academia Alphonsiana and a
doctorate in sacred theology in 1975 from the Pontifical
University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum).
On his return to the United States and the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia, Bishop DiLorenzo served as chaplain and
instructor in theology at St. Pius X High School, Pottstown
from1975 to1977. In 1977, he was appointed chaplain and
associate professor of moral theology at Immaculata College.
He was honored with the title Chaplain to His Holiness Pope
John Paul II on 30 June 1983. In 1983 he returned to St.
Charles Borromeo Seminary as Vice Rector. Two years later he
was named Rector of the Seminary. During these years, he was
also a member of the Archdiocesan Committee and a Prosynodal
Judge of the Metropolitan Tribunal. He was named a member of
the Papal Household and received the title Prelate of Honor
of His Holiness Pope John Paul II on 25 February 1986.
On 26 January 1988, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Tigia
and Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and ordained
to the episcopacy on 8 March of that year. Five years later
he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of
Honolulu. On 4 October 1994, he became the Ordinary. During
his administration, Bishop DiLorenzo was nominated by the
Pope as a participant in the 1998 Synod of Bishops for Asia.
At the Synod, he encouraged more collaboration between Asian
and U.S. bishops to serve the growing needs of Catholic
Asian immigrants in the United States. |
Currently, Bishop DiLorenzo serves in the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops as a member of the
Sub-Committee on Asian and Pacific Islanders which is part
of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church. He has
served as a member of the Administrative Committee and also
as chairman of the Committee on Science and Human Values. In
an earlier term as chairman of that committee, he
inaugurated a series of popular teaching brochures,
reflecting the bishops' consultations with top scientists on
topics such as the relationship of science and religion and
ethical issues in the rapidly growing fields of genetic
testing and genetic screening. In previous years he also
served the USCCB committee on doctrine and the ad hoc
committee on bishops' life and ministry. |
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