Pope Francis on May 15, 2019, announced the appointment of Bishop Peter Baldacchino, Auxiliary Bishop of Miami, as the third bishop of the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
A native of Malta, Bishop-designate Baldacchino was born on Dec. 5, 1960, to René and Hilda Baldacchino. He is the second oldest of four children – one girl and three boys.
After completing his degree in science from the University of Malta, Bishop-designate Baldacchino entered the seminary and was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Newark on May 25, 1996.
Eighteen years later, on March 19, 2014, Bishop-designate Baldacchino was ordained auxiliary bishop by Archbishop Thomas Wenski for the Archdiocese of Miami.
Bishop-designate Baldacchino is the 10th auxiliary bishop to serve in the Archdiocese of Miami and the first bishop in the United States from the Neocatechumenal Way. He is a member of the boards of the three South Florida seminaries, Catholic Health Services, the Archdiocese of Miami Finance Council, and chairs the Marriage and Family Committee for the Province of Florida, as well as several other board assignments in addition to his role as auxiliary bishop and pastor of St. Kieran Church.
