Monday surprise: Pope Benedict appoints two bishops

Fresh from the Vatican Information Service.... (on a Monday!)

Today the Holy Father:

-- Appointed Msgr. Herbert A. Bevard of the clergy of the archdiocese of Philadelphia, U.S.A., pastor of St. Athanasius parish, as bishop of Saint Thomas [United States Virgin Islands] (area 352, population 108,612, Catholics 30,000, priests 15, permanent deacons 27, religious 27), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Baltimore, U.S.A. in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1972.

-- Appointed Bishop William Francis Malooly, auxiliary of Baltimore, U.S.A., as bishop of Wilmington (area 13,916, population 1,270,734, Catholics 230,000, priests 214, permanent deacons 94, religious 380), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

More on the Wilmington appointment in the Baltimore Sun today. CNA has a tidbit and more.

See also: Rocco's day of and night before reporting.

Once again, episcopal news follows in the wake, or in close anticipation of my visit to a city. ;-)