He succeeds Bishop Sean O’Malley, who was appointed last September to lead the Diocese of Palm Beach in Florida.
George Coleman was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, on Feb. 1, 1939. He studied at St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts, and at the North American College and the Gregorian University in Rome, where he earned a licentiate in sacred theology.
He was ordained a priest on Dec. 16, 1964. He was appointed vicar general of Fall River and moderator of the curia in 1994. He was diocesan director of education from 1977 to 1985.
The Diocese of Fall River has a Catholic population of 350,570 in a total population of about 591,000.
