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Pope Names Archbishop McCarrick the New Archbishop of Washington Pope John Paul II today named Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick of Newark the new Archbishop of Washington after accepting the resignation of Cardinal James A. Hickey. Cardinal Hickey, who served as Washington's Catholic archbishop for 20 years, celebrated his 80th birthday on October 11. He will remain as Apostolic Administrator until Archbishop McCarrick's installation on January 3-4, 2001. Archbishop McCarrick will be the fifth archbishop, and the fourth in residence, since the Archdiocese was founded in 1939. "I thank Almighty God for this extraordinary grace of serving Him in the Archdiocese of Washington. I pray with all my heart that He will bless my ministry here, that He will allow me to serve the people of this great local Church with generosity and goodness. I also am grateful to our beloved Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, for his trust and confidence in me. I ask you all to pray with me that I may always strive to be worthy of that trust," said Archbishop McCarrick. He continued, "I cannot neglect to express a word of heartfelt gratitude to the Church that has been my family for the past 15 years. I can never forget the abundant blessings which I have received through the kindness and the generosity and the constant support of those who will always be part of my family in the Church of Newark. And now, a new chapter begins. I am proud to share it with Cardinal Hickey. I know him to be a good and holy man and I will always count upon his wisdom, his example and his prayers." "As I find myself named to be the servant of the Church of Washington, I offer to our priests and bishops, to the deacons, to the religious Sisters and Brothers and to all the men and women of faith who make up the family of this great local Church, everything I have, everything I can become with your prayers and your help. I will love you and serve you with all my heart and together, with God's help and with the Virgin Mary's prayers, we will try to do great things for the Kingdom, where Jesus Christ is Lord." Archbishop McCarrick has served as the spiritual leader of the 1.4 million Catholics in the Archdiocese of Newark for 14 years. Born in New York City on July 7, 1930, he attended St. Joseph Seminary, Yonkers, New York. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York by Cardinal Francis Spellman on May 31, 1958. After ordination, then-Father McCarrick served as assistant chaplain, dean of students and director of development for The Catholic University of America. In 1965, he was named president of the Catholic University of Puerto Rico and received the title of Monsignor. In 1969, he returned to New York where he served as Associate Secretary for Education until 1971 and as Secretary to Cardinal Terrence Cooke from 1971-1977. Pope Paul VI named him Auxiliary Bishop of New York in 1977. Four years later, Pope John Paul II named him the first Bishop of Metuchen, New Jersey. In 1986, he became the Archbishop of Newark, which is the seventh largest diocese in the nation. Archbishop McCarrick has served terms as chair of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Migration; Committee for Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe; and Committee on International Policy. He also has served on the boards of The Catholic University of America, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Catholic Relief Services. A member of the Pontifical Councils for Migrants and Refugees and for Justice and Peace, Archbishop McCarrick is widely known for his work on international human rights. In 1998, Archbishop McCarrick was one of three Americans invited to China to discuss religious freedom. In July 1999, he was named a member of the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom. "I am grateful to the Lord and to our Holy Father for sending Archbishop McCarrick to the Church of Washington," said Cardinal Hickey. "He is a dear friend and coworker of many years. I have known him since the days when he served as Cardinal Cooke's Secretary in New York. Archbishop McCarrick is a man of deep faith, devoted to the Lord and to the Church. He is an effective leader and a man of amazing energy. His commitment to furthering human rights is recognized around the world. As I give thanks for the appointment of Archbishop McCarrick, so also I express my deep gratitude to the Lord and to our Holy Father for the joy and privilege of serving the people of the Archdiocese of Washington for 20 years. May God bless Archbishop McCarrick as he begins his new ministry." Auxiliary Bishop William E. Lori added, "I warmly welcome Archbishop McCarrick. I've had the privilege of knowing him for 18 years and I look forward to working with him in service to the Archdiocese. I pledge my full and wholehearted support and cooperation." "I have found Archbishop McCarrick to be a very affable and approachable person. He has a big heart for the poor, the immigrants and those in stressful situations. I am looking forward to working with him," added Auxiliary Bishop Leonard Olivier. Archbishop-designate McCarrick will be installed as Archbishop of Washington during a two-day event. The formal Canonical Possession will be held January 3, 2001, 7:30 p.m. in the Cathedral of St. Matthew, Washington, DC. A Mass of Installation will be held the following day, January 4, at 2:30 p.m. in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, also in Washington, DC. Bishops from around the nation are expected to attend that Mass. Founded in 1939, the Archdiocese of Washington includes 510,000 Catholics who worship in 140 parishes located in Washington, DC and Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince GeorgeÕs and St. Mary's Counties in Maryland. Each year, the 107 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese educate 34,000 students. The largest non-public social service organization in the region, the Archdiocese and its affiliated agencies, including Catholic Charities, Anchor Mental Health, the Kennedy Institute, Spanish Catholic Center and Victory Housing, provide shelter, food, counseling, medical care, legal assistance, employment training and more for over 100,000 people each year.
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