Pittsburgh, Pa., Oct 7, 2009 / 09:11 am
The Holy Father has appointed a priest from the Diocese of Pittsburgh to become the fourth bishop of Gaylord, Michigan. Msgr. Bernard A. Hebda, who is a graduate of both Harvard and Columbia University, will succeed Bishop Patrick R. Cooney who submitted his resignation to the Vatican upon reaching the age of 75 in March.
Bishop-elect Hebda, who is currently undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts at the Vatican, expressed his excitement for his new position today, saying that he is both “humbled and honored” at the decision to appoint him to lead the Michigan diocese.
"Never in my wildest dreams have I ever imagined that I would one day be the Bishop of Gaylord,” he told the faithful in the Diocese of Gaylord. “I look forward to getting to know the people of this diocese – their needs, their strengths, their history, so that we can together strive to continue to make Christ’s presence felt in this portion of His vineyard.”
Born in 1959, Msgr. Hebda lived in Pittsburgh until his college years. He completed his undergraduate degree at Harvard University before moving on to study law at Columbia University.