April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
ANNOUNCEMENT

BISHOP NAMES EPISCOPAL VICARS

BISHOP NAMES EPISCOPAL VICARS
BISHOP NAMES EPISCOPAL VICARS
Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger has announced the names of seven priests who will serve the parishes in their regions of the Albany Diocese as episcopal vicars. They and the regions they will serve, known as vicariates, are (alphabetically by priest's name):

•  Rev. Michael Cambi (Leatherstocking),

•  Rev. Christopher DeGiovine (Beverwyck),

•  Rev. L. Edward Deimeke (Hudson Valley),

•  Rev. Martin Fisher (Adirondack),

•  Rev. Robert Longobucco (Tech Valley),

•  Rev. Christopher Welch (Mohawk Valley) and

•  Rev. Thomas Zelker (Taconic).

They will serve for a term of three years, to begin Nov. 29, the first Sunday of Advent.

The role of the new vicars is primarily to assist Bishop Scharfenberger in the pastoral care of the parishes within their region. They will provide support to parish leaders and foster the development and sharing of personnel and program resources.

Rev. David Berberian, diocesan vicar general and vicar for clergy, will facilitate the work and coordinate communication among the vicars. The episcopal vicars will also serve as ex officio members of the diocesan Presbyteral Council, which advises the Bishop in the governance and pastoral care of the Diocese.

Each region will consist of approximately 20 parishes that share a geographical or cultural affinity. While the regions will replace the former county-based deaneries, the regional vicars will encourage conversation on all levels of pastoral life, within and among parishes. Furthermore, the episcopal vicars will have complete access to all of the resources of the diocesan Pastoral Center in Albany and will ensure that they flow equitably to all of the Diocese's parishes.

In order to expand and improve resource allocation and dialogue throughout the entire Diocese, all of the regions will have dedicated distance-learning facilities: centers in which parishioners can congregate locally to participate regularly in Diocese-wide colloquia, summits, lectures and other opportunities for enrichment.

Bishop Scharfenberger stated that he is grateful for the pastoral zeal and generosity of the new vicars who will meet with him and Father Berberian regularly, both individually and as a collegial body. The Bishop underscores that the regional vicars will serve not as territorial executives or monitors for diocesan administration, but rather as pastoral channels of his own desire to be present to all of the parishes.


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