Pope Francis added three new bishops to the service of the Church on Monday, March 19, 2018, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Holy Mass and Episcopal Ordination were held in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
The three new bishops are:
– Mons. Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag of the clergy of the Diocese of Pelplin (Poland), born on February 6, 1968, in Więcbork (Poland), ordained priest on 30 May 1993, elected titular Archbishop of Maastricht and nominated Apostolic Nuncio to Nicaragua on February 15, 2018;
– Mons. Alfred Xuereb of the clergy of the Diocese of Gozo (Malta), born October 14, 1958, in Gozo (Malta), ordained priest on May 26, 1984, titular Archbishop of Amantea and appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Korea and Mongolia on February 26, 2018;
– Mons. José Avelino Bettencourt of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Ottawa (Canada), born May 23, 1962, in the Azores (Portugal), ordained priest on May 29, 1993, elected titular Archbishop of Novigrad and appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Georgia and Armenia February 26, 2018.
