August 24, 2023 at 9:12 a.m.
BISHOP HUBBARD TIMELINE
1938: Born in Troy
1940s-’50s: Attended St. Patrick's School and LaSalle Institute, both in Troy
1956: Entered seminary; attended Mater Christi Minor Seminary and St. Joseph’s in Dunwoodie
1963: Ordained a priest Dec. 18 at Church of St. Ignatius in Rome, Italy
1964-’77: Parish, inner-city and diocesan assignments: associate pastor at St. Joseph’s in Schenectady, and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany; chaplain for Kenwood Convent of the Sacred Heart in Albany; post-graduate studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. (school of social service); assistant director for Catholic Charities in Schenectady; director of Providence House in Albany; co-founder of Hope House in Albany; involved in creation on LIVCORP hostels for mentally handicapped; coordinator of Urban Apostolate in Albany; chair of diocesan Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and Priests’ Personnel Board; director of Office of Pastoral Planning; diocesan consultor; diocesan vicar general; administrator of Diocese
1977: Appointed Bishop of Albany on Feb. 1 by Pope Paul VI (first native of Albany Diocese to serve as its bishop; youngest bishop in U.S. at the time); ordained and installed March 27 at Siena College; honorary doctor of divinity degree from Siena College and doctor of humane letters degree from The College of Saint Rose in Albany
1978: First “ad limina” visit to Rome in spring (meeting with Pope Paul VI, just months before his death); issued “We are His People” pastoral letter on vision for the Church in Diocese
1979: Hosted ground-breaking "Always His People" televised retreats (turned into book form), repeated in 1980
1980: Delegate to White House Conference on the Family
1981-’84: Chair, U.S. bishops’ Committee on Family Values
1983: Led interfaith pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Rome; second ad limina visit to Rome (first meeting with Pope John Paul II)
1983-’87: Member, Secretariat for Non-Believers (appointed by Pope John Paul II)
1983-’90: Chair, U.S. bishops’ Committee on Marriage and the Family
1984-’87: Introduced Renew faith-sharing and spiritual growth program in Diocese
1985: Sued to stop abortion clinic from opening in Albany
1986: Presided at history-making Palm Sunday reconciliation service between Catholics and Jews at the Cathedral in Albany; believed to be first such service in world
1987: Honorary doctor of laws degree from Niagara University in Niagara Falls
1988: Ad limina visit to Rome to meet with Pope John Paul II; issued “We are God’s Priestly People” pastoral letter on vision for Church in Albany Diocese in the 1990s
1989: Brought Rochester-based St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry to Albany, Diocese’s graduate school for theology; walked hand-in-hand with Rabbi Martin Silverman through “Portal” sculpture installed at Cathedral to commemorate 1986 Catholic/Jewish reconciliation service
1993: Ad limina visit to Rome to meet with Pope John Paul II
1996: Honorary doctor of laws degree from St. Bernard's Institute in Rochester; published “I Am Bread Broken: A Spirituality for the Catechist”
1997: Led celebration of sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of Albany Diocese; attended White House Prayer Breakfast hosted by President Clinton
1998: Honorary doctor of laws degree from St. John’s University in Jamaica, N.Y.; published “Fulfilling the Vision: Collaborative Ministry in the Parish;” ad limina visit to Rome to meet with Pope John Paul II
2000: Introduced Renew 2000 faith-sharing program in Diocese; hosted televised retreat, “Disciples Together in Faith;” launched Albany Diocese’s website; led Diocese’s Holy Year pilgrimage to Rome
2002: Broke right ankle slipping on ice outside Cathedral, on crutches for six weeks; celebrated 25th anniversary as bishop
2003: Solidarity visit to Armenia with other bishops and Catholic Near East staff
2004: Cleared of allegations of abuse after four-month investigation; ad limina visit to Rome to meet with Pope John Paul II
2006: Traveled to Gulf Coast to survey Hurricane Katrina devastation in role as chair of U.S. bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development; announced “Called to be Church” two-year pastoral planning effort in Diocese
2007: Launched “Called to be Church” pastoral planning process
2009: Issued final decisions to close 33 churches in Diocese by 2011
2010: Visited Nigeria and Sudan in role as chair of U.S. bishops’ International Committee for Justice and Peace
2011: Ad limina visit to Rome to meet with Pope Benedict XVI
2012: Concelebrated canonization of St. Kateri Tekakwitha in Rome with Pope Benedict and led celebrations in Diocese
2013: Received president’s medal from Fordham University; marking golden jubilee of priesthood and 36 years as Bishop, became longest-tenured bishop in Diocese’s history; celebrated 75th birthday Oct. 31 and submitted resignation letter to the Vatican.
2014: Vatican accepts resignation and Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger is named as his successor.
2019: Child Victims Act (CVA) goes into effect and Bishop Emeritus Hubbard is accused in lawsuit of allegedly abusing a 16-year-old in the late 1990s. Bishop Hubbard says: “I have never sexually abused anyone of any age at any time.” Released statement that he is stepping back from public ministry.
2022: In March, it is revealed in deposition testimony that Bishop Hubbard, when asked why he did not report a suspected case of child sexual abuse to law enforcement when he was bishop after a priest allegedly admitted to him that he had abused a child, replied: “Because I was not a mandated reporter. I don’t think the law then or even now requires me to do it. Would I do it now? Yes. But did I do it then? No.” In July, he was involved in a car accident, in which it was determined that he suffered a stroke. In November, he announced that he petitioned the Vatican to be returned “to the lay state.”
2023: In a statement released Aug. 1, Bishop Hubbard announced that after the Vatican denied his request to be laicized, he was married in a civil ceremony. On Aug. 17, he suffers a stroke and on Aug. 19, he dies at Albany Medical Center.
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