Statement of The Most Reverend John J. Myers
Archbishop of Newark,
On the Appointment of Bishop-Elect Manuel A. Cruz
As Auxiliary Bishop of Newark

I share the excitement and joy of the other bishops of New Jersey and the priests and people of this great Archdiocese in announcing, on this feast of St. Ephrem, deacon and doctor of the Church, the  appointment by Pope Benedict XVI of Msgr. Manuel Cruz as the newest auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark. We thank the Holy Father for selecting him.

Bishop-Elect Cruz is the first Cuban-born priest of the Archdiocese.  Like St. Ephrem, who was banished from his homeland, Bishop Cruz fled to this country with his parents as revolution took hold in Cuba. Eventually, the Cruz family settled in Union City, and our new bishop grew in faith and attended the seminaries of the Archdiocese at Seton Hall University.  He was ordained in 1980.  

He is well-known and highly regarded by the priests and people of this Archdiocese not only for his extensive involvement in ministry to the Spanish-speaking, but also for his deep and strong commitment to the health and the needs of the poor. In leadership roles in chaplain service and hospital ministry, where he has labored for more than 10 years, he has served the needs of people in the Archdiocese at their most vulnerable moments.   Throughout his life as a priest, Bishop Cruz has continued to provide the very real presence of Our Lord at time when it is most needed. 

We know God will enrich our Archdiocese and the Church with the blessing of Bishop Cruz's Episcopal ministry for many years to come, and I look forward to presiding at his ordination as bishop at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Monday, September 8.