Pope Names Cardinal-Designate Joseph W. Tobin as new Archbishop of Newark

Pope Francis has named Cardinal-designate, Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R, of Indianapolis, Indiana, as Archbishop of Newark; and has accepted the resignation of Archbishop John J. Myers from the pastoral governance of the archdiocese.

The appointment was made public in Washington, November 7, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Read a statement by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., about the appointment HERE.

Archbishop Tobin was born in Detroit, Michigan on May 3, 1952.  He attended Mount Saint Alphonsus Seminary in New York (1977-1979) and holds master degrees in religious education (1977) and divinity (1979), as well as a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy (1975). He was ordained to the priesthood on June 1,1978 as a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists).

After ordination he served in several roles including: associate pastor, Holy Redeemer Parish (1979-1984), in Detroit with a principal responsibility of pastoral service to the Hispanic community.  He also served as retreat preacher for Cursillos de Cristiandad and in youth ministry. Other responsibilities in the Archdiocese of Detroit included episcopal vicar (1980-86), member of the presbyteral council (1985-90), and official in the metropolitan tribunal (1980-90).  From 1984 to1990, he served as pastor at Holy Redeemer Parish, and as pastor at St. Alphonsus Parish, in Chicago (1990 to 1991).

On August 2, 2010, he was named by Pope Benedict XVI as secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. On October 18, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Archbishop of Indianapolis. He was installed as the sixth Archbishop of Indianapolis on December 3, 2012.

Archbishop John J. Myers, 75, was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois on December 17, 1966.  On July 24, 2001 he was appointed the fifth Archbishop of Newark. He was installed as archbishop on October 9, 2001.

The Archdiocese of Newark comprises 513 square miles in the state of New Jersey.  It has a total population of 2,859,850 people of whom 1,220,143, or 42 percent, are Catholic.