Vatican City, Jun 9, 2008 / 08:50 am
This morning at the Vatican, the Holy Father appointed Msgr. Manuel A. Cruz as auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. The bishop-elect, who is currently a priest of the same archdiocese, will oversee the Church in Union County and will assist Archbishop John J. Myers.
Msgr. Cruz was born in 1953 in Havana, Cuba, and studied at Seton Hall in South Orange, NJ. After receiving his Masters in Sacred Scripture, he was ordained a priest in 1980 for the Archdiocese of Newark.
In a statement to the local media, Archbishop Myers expressed his delight at the new appointment. “[Msgr. Cruz] is well-known and highly regarded by the priests and people of this archdiocese not only for his extensive involvement in ministry to the Spanish-speaking, but also for his deep and strong commitment to the health and the needs of the poor.”
The Archdiocese of Newark has 1.3 million Catholics and 834 priests.