New Bishop Named to Arlington Catholic Diocese

ARLINGTON, VA — Pope Francis has appointed 59-year-old Raleigh Bishop Michael F. Burbidge as Arlington's new bishop after the current bishop, Paul S. Loverde, gave his resignation.

Burbidge, who has served in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the past 10 years, will take over on Dec. 6 at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, according to an Arlington Diocese report. Until then, Loverde will remain as apostolic administrator.

Loverde, 76, has led the Arlington Diocese for the last 17 years. Bishops are required to submit their resignation once they reach age 75.

Burbidge hails from Philadelphia. He graduated in 1975 from Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield, Philadelphia, and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1984 after attending St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master's in theology from the seminary.

Loverde, the outgoing bishop, established eight new parishes during his time in Arlington. He also dedicated 12 new churches and ordained more than 70 priests.

The Arlington Diocese was founded in 1974 and covers the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park and Winchester, as well as 21 counties in Northern Virginia and down to Richmond. The total Catholic population it covers is 457,874.

"Over the past 10 years, I have had the profound pleasure of serving the great people of the Diocese of Raleigh," Burbidge said in a statement from the Raleigh Diocese. "From the moment I stepped foot in North Carolina, I was welcomed with warmth and love that I have never forgotten. I especially thank my brother priests for their consistent fraternal support, as well as for the help provided by the deacons, consecrated religious, and the lay faithful who have been so kind to me. It is with great certainty that while I will leave the Diocese of Raleigh later this year, the next Bishop will be welcomed with the same joy and love that I encountered. May Our Lord continue to bless the wonderful and holy people of the Diocese of Raleigh."

Photo: Diocese of Raleigh