Pope names Msgr. Lawrence T. Persico, JCL, Tenth Bishop of Erie

Diocese of Erie – July 31, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI today named the Rev. Msgr. Lawrence T. Persico as the tenth bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. He will succeed Bishop Donald W. Trautman, S.T.D., S.S.L., and will be ordained and installed as bishop during a Mass at St. Peter Cathedral in Erie on Monday, Oct. 1, 2012 at 2 pm.

Bishop Trautman will introduce Bishop-elect Persico at a news conference today at 10:30 am at St. Mark Catholic Center, 429 East Grandview Boulevard, Erie.

In the announcement at noon, Roman time, today, Pope Benedict XVI also accepted Bishop Trautman’s resignation, which was submitted following church protocol on his 75th birthday, June 24, 2011. Bishop Trautman will continue to lead the mission and ministries of the diocese as Bishop Emeritus until Bishop-elect Persico’s installation.

Born Nov. 21, 1950 in Monessen, Pa., Bishop-elect Persico was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Greensburg on April 30, 1977. Until the announcement, he was serving as vicar general, moderator of the curia, defender of the bond and advocate of the diocesan Tribunal and acting chancellor of the Diocese of Greensburg as well as pastor of St. James Parish.

The Bishop is the steward of grace of the supreme priesthood, especially in the Eucharist…. The Eucharist is the center of life of the particular Church. The Bishop and priests sanctify the Church by their prayer and work, by their ministry of the word and of the sacraments. They sanctify her by their example, not as domineering over those in their charge but being examples to the flock. Thus, together with the flock entrusted to them, they may attain to eternal life. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #893) O’Meara Ferguson welcomes Bishop-elect Persico to his new ministry as Bishop of Erie. We promise our prayerful support as he assumes his new responsibility as a “steward of grace” for the Church of northwestern Pennsylvania.