Habemus Episcopum!! Msgr Daniel Flores named as Detroit's newest auxiliary

The Archdiocese of Detroit received a new auxiliary bishop today. He will become the youngest bishop in the United States (at 45) when he is ordained November 29th.

... and announced on a Saturday!!

Whispers has the scoop:

"... the Pope name Msgr Daniel Flores, rector of the cathedral of his native diocese of Corpus Christi and vice-rector of St Mary's Seminary in Houston, as auxiliary bishop to Cardinal Adam Maida of Detroit.

... Ordained for Corpus Christi in 1988, Flores was immediately placed on the fast track by then-Bishop Rene Gracida, who the new bishop served as his personal secretary, parochial vicar of Corpus Christi Cathedral, vice-chancellor and episcopal master of ceremonies. After five years as the diocese's vocation director, he was sent to Rome, where he earned his license and doctorate in theology from the Angelicum.

Returning home, the bishop-elect was named chancellor of the diocese while serving as a professor of theology at the University of St Thomas in Houston and St Mary's, where he was named vice-rector in 2002. Named earlier this year as rector of Corpus Christi Cathedral, he speaks Spanish, Italian, and Latin in addition to English.

[Rocco adds his commentary here.]

More info from the Archdiocese of Detroit website (since the announcement was made on a weekend, the Vatican Information Service won't mention the appointment until Monday):

• Statement from AofD
• Bishop-elect Flores's ministry "will include a special focus on Hispanic concerns in the Detroit archdiocese."

I'm sure many people will be pleased with this appointment. But the question still remains: who will succeed Cardinal Maida, who turned 75 (the mandatoy age for retirement) in March?