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Ogdensburg. He
succeeds Bishop Gerard M. Barbarito who was appointed Bishop of Palm
Beach last July.
"I express
gratitude to His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, for the confidence
expressed in me. To him I pledge my affectionate loyalty and loving
obedience," Bishop-designate Cunningham said.
"The bonds
that unite the Diocese of Ogdensburg and the Diocese of Buffalo are
old and strong. Through the years, many of our priests have studied
together at various seminaries and continue to do so today. In these
challenging times, I want to express my admiration and esteem for the
priests of our diocese who serve day in and day out in often in
hidden and unappreciated ways," he added.
Bishop-designate
Cunningham was born in Buffalo on June 18, 1943. He studied at the
Diocesan Seminary of Buffalo and the Catholic University of America,
where he earned a Licentiate in Canon Law in 1978. He also received
an honorary doctorate from Niagara University.
Ordained a priest
of the Diocese of Buffalo on May 24, 1969, Bishop-designate
Cunningham has held a number of pastoral and administrative positions
in the Diocese of Buffalo, including Chancellor and Vicar General. He
is also pastor of St. Louis Parish in downtown Buffalo. He served as
secretary to Bishop Edward D. Head and Auxiliary Bishop Bernard J.
McLaughlin, and is a member of the Canon Law Society of America.
Following the
transfer last October of Archbishop Henry J. Mansell to Hartford, Bishop-designate
Cunningham was elected Diocesan Administrator of Buffalo, a position
he will continue to hold until he is installed as the 13th Bishop of Ogdensburg.
Established in
1872, the Diocese of Ogdensburg has a Catholic population of
approximately 143,700. Bishop-designate Cunningham is the fourth
priest from the Diocese of Buffalo to be named Bishop of Ogdensburg. |
