The 66-year-old Kansas native will be installed Sept. 8 in Philadelphia, where he succeeds Cardinal Justin Rigali, 76, who retired in July.
In his last column for the Denver Catholic Register, Archbishop Chaput praised the priests of the archdiocese.
«There was a moment at our annual priests’ convocation earlier this year, well before Philadelphia was on the horizon, when I saw firsthand that the ‘fraternal spirit’ of priests who serve God’s people is more than just a wonderful ideal or an appealing theology,» he wrote. «It’s real. It’s a living brotherhood. It’s alive in the easy friendship of our youngest priests and our veteran men who’ve pastored parishes for decades. It’s alive in their good will and their joy. I thank God every day for the quality of priests who serve this local Church, and I will never forget their fraternal support for each other and for me; their patience and unselfish good humor; and their fidelity to the priesthood, the Church and their people.»
The archbishop also highlighted the number of seminarians, the Hispanic ministry, ministry for women and college students, and an institute for the formation of lay leaders.
Archbishop Chaput celebrated two public farewell Masses last weekend.
