CLIFTON It was a sign in these unprecedented times of “social distancing” in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the morning of April 15 in the middle of the Easter Octave, there was Father Kevin Sweeney of the Brooklyn Diocese in a video message extending his warm greetings to the Paterson Diocese and expressing feeling “honored and humbled” to be named the eighth Bishop of the Church of Paterson by Pope Francis. Also following social guidelines, Bishop Serratelli led the Diocese, again by video, on that historic day in welcoming and congratulating the Bishop-elect, who promised to make a visit here once the restrictions in place for the pandemic have been eased by state authorities.
“I thank the Holy Father for the trust that he has placed in me in calling me to this ministry,” Bishop-elect Sweeney, who serves as pastor of St. Michael Parish in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, said in a video about his appointment as Paterson’s new bishop, which was posted on the Paterson Diocese’s website, www.rcdop.org; the Brooklyn Diocese’s website; and on social media. The Bishop-elect spoke in English and Spanish. “From the first time I learned of this assignment two weeks ago, I have been praying every day for the Church of Paterson, especially Bishop Arthur Serratelli … [who] has already received me with open arms. I thank him for that welcome and I will rely upon him, his wisdom and his experience in this time of transition. I look forward to meeting the religious, deacons, seminarians and lay leaders of the Diocese,” the Bishop-elect said.
Although they have been communicating by phone and email, the video served as the first exchange with the faithful between Bishop Serratelli and Bishop-elect Sweeney, 50, whose episcopal ordination date has not yet been set due to the pandemic. Bishop Serratelli, whose resignation Pope Francis accepted on April 15, will serve as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese until Bishop-elect Sweeney’s episcopal ordination. In the video, Bishop Serratelli told the diocesan faithful, “Over the past 16 years, it has been a blessing and honor to serve as your bishop. We are grateful to the Holy Father for his pastoral concern for the Diocese. In these unprecedented times, when there is so much uncertainty about the future, we can be certain that we will have the shepherd who will not only lead us through these days, but also continue to build up our great Diocese. Many of the English- and Spanish-speaking faithful Bishop-elect Sweeney has served in his home diocese of Brooklyn will sorely miss his pastoral zeal, his kindness, his unselfish outreach to the poor, his wise counsel and his good sense of humor. May the Lord strengthen and protect our new Bishop. May he fill him with the Holy Spirit. I ask you in joining me in welcoming Bishop-elect Sweeney,” the Bishop said.
Bishop-elect Sweeney hails from Queens, where he was raised in the Whitestone section and belonged to St. Luke Parish there. In 1988, he was graduated from Cathedral Prep, where he distinguished himself as an all-star baseball player. He redirected his original dream of pursuing a professional baseball career to answer a call to enter the seminary, after earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. John’s University in Queens in 1992.
In 1997, Bishop Thomas Daily ordained Bishop-elect Sweeney as a priest for the Brooklyn Diocese. His assignments have included parochial vicar of both St. Nicholas Parish of Tolentine in Jamaica, Queens and Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Corona, Queens; diocesan vocations director; and pastor of St. Michael’s since 2010, when he was also appointed to the board of seminary admissions. The Bishop-elect became fluent in Spanish with studies in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.
“I congratulate Bishop-elect Kevin Sweeney,” Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn said in a statement. “Bishop-elect Sweeney has served the Diocese of Brooklyn for 22 years and is an outstanding example of a parish priest. I know that he is a man of prayer and is a zealous advocate of vocations to the priesthood,” he said.
In his video message, Bishop-elect Sweeney thanked Paterson clergy for “saying ‘yes’ ” to God’s call to ministry. He promised them, “I will strive and do everything I can to follow Bishop DiMarzio’s example and I’m sure Bishop Serratelli’s good example in supporting you in your ministries and being together with you as brothers in the ministry of service in celebrating the Sacraments.”
The Bishop-elect also told viewers that he has been busy learning about the Church of Paterson with the help of Bishop Serratelli and diocesan leaders.
“I’ve already been learning about the ‘good soil’ in which God’s Word has been planted and is bearing abundant fruit, thanks to the leadership and dedication of Bishop Serratelli and so many throughout the Diocese,” Bishop-elect Sweeney said. To parents, grandparents and anyone else of faith who is raising and teaching children in the Diocese,‑ he promised to “work together to promote a respect for the dignity and value of every human life from the moment of conception and to work for the sanctification of families and family life.”
In the video, Bishop-elect Sweeney — pastor of a parish that has been ministering to an area of Brooklyn hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic — sympathized with the devastation that the virus has also caused in the Paterson Diocese. He offered “prayers and condolences to those in Paterson who have lost loved ones in this time” — that “our Risen Lord will give them the fullness of Eternal Life”; for the sick; and for “the brave and heroic doctors, nurses, paramedics, medical professionals and all those who help keep us safe.”
In a video conference with journalists on April 15, the day of the announcement of his appointment, Bishop-elect Sweeney said he received a call on March 30 from Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, with news that Pope Francis had named him Bishop of Paterson. “Overwhelmed” by the call, he asked the papal nuncio if he could “sleep” on his decision. That night, he prayed about it and spoke to Bishop DiMarzio, before calling back Archbishop Pierre to accept the next morning.
“I have been impressed with Bishop Serratelli’s kindness and his encouragement,” Bishop-elect Sweeney said. “There is a diversity within the Catholic community throughout the Paterson Diocese with Catholics and people of other faiths. We love diversity in Brooklyn and Queens. As I understand it, Passaic is urban, Morris is suburban and Sussex is rural. The ‘rural’ would be a learning curve for me but I love the beauty of God’s creation. I would be happy to get to know these flavors of the Diocese,” he said.
In the Zoom conference, Bishop-elect Sweeney also gave a glimpse of his style and pastoral priorities. He promised to follow the open-hearted example of Pope Francis in reaching out to people who feel alienated from or hurt by the Church or hold differing viewpoints, and to try to make the best decisions by discerning God’s will through prayer, the Holy Spirit and the counsel of Bishop Serratelli and diocesan leaders. “I want to teach the truth with love,” he said. The Bishop-elect also pledged to promote vocations through such possible initiatives as parish vocations teams and support groups.
“While a vocations director for Brooklyn, I heard about Bishop Serratelli’s work for and encouragement of vocations. He shared with me that there have been a good number of ordinations in Paterson over the years. That encourages me. That will be a priority for me. It’s the work of the Church to support vocations, not only to the priesthood, but also to religious life, the diaconate and the ministries of the Church,” he said.