Pope Francis has named the Reverend William Byrne as the tenth Bishop of Springfield.Father Byrne is 56 –a native of Washington DC and the youngest of eight kids.He is a Holyoke Cross grad.
According to a statement from the Diocese of Springfield this morning, Bishop-elect Byrne is a popular columnist and YouTube personality, with his series “Five Things” highlighting five life hacks, prayer starters, or spiritual meditations to help people to grow closer to God and appreciate the small—but vital—things in life. The series was so popular that it has been developed into a book Five Things with Fr. Bill which is being released tomorrow, October 15 by Loyola Pres
Bishop-elect Byrne assumes the position left vacant when Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski was named as the Archbishop of St. Louis on June 10 and was installed on August 25. Since then, Worcester Bishop Robert J. McManus has been serving as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Springfield.Bishop-elect Byrne will be ordained and installed as the 10th Bishop of Springfield on December 14 at the Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel on State Street in Springfield.
Father Byrne will say his first Mass in Springfield this afternoon.He will meet with reporters later today.
(Photo Credit: Springfield Roman Catholic Diocese)