As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) convenes their November General Assembly in a virtual format in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they have chosen eight new chairmen for standing committees, a new board member for Catholic Relief Services, and a new general secretary to lead the Conference.
Earlier this year, the bishop-members voted to suspend the bylaws of the Conference to allow for paper, mail-in ballots for the election of the committee chairmen and new general secretary before the November meeting. Yesterday, the results of the election were announced. The bishops voted for a chairman for the Committee on Religious Liberty, and chairmen-elect of seven standing committees. The chairmen-elect will serve for one year as chairmen-elect before beginning a three-year term at the conclusion of the bishops’ 2021 Fall General Assembly.
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA as chairman-elect of the Committee on Priorities and Plans in a 157-83 vote over Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo.
Bishop Thomas A. Daly of Spokane, as chairman-elect of the Committee on Catholic Education in a 139-103 vote over Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv. of Atlanta.
Bishop Robert Reed of Boston, as chairman-elect of the Committee on Communications in a 144-97 vote over Bishop Christopher J. Coyne of Burlington.
Bishop Arturo Cepeda of Detroit, as chairman-elect of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church in a 155-78 vote over Bishop Jorge Rodríguez-Novelo of Denver.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, as chairman-elect of the Committee on Doctrine in a 146-91 vote over Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria.
Bishop James S. Wall of Gallup, as chairman-elect of the Committee on National Collections in a 136-104 vote over Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City.
Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, as chairman-elect of the Committee on Pro-life Activities in a 139-102 vote over Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver.
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, as chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty in a 134-106 vote over Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami.
Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill, STL was elected as General Secretary of the USCCB in a vote over Reverend Michael Fuller, STD. The general secretary’s term is five years.
Additionally, seven members of the Board of Directors for Catholic Relief Services were elected from a slate of eleven candidates. They are (alphabetical order): Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria, Bishop Octavio Cisneros of Brooklyn, Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, Bishop Daniel E. Garcia of Austin, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, CSsR of Newark, and Bishop Luis R. Zarama of Raleigh.
