| His Excellency Bernard Anthony Hebda |
|
|---|---|
| Bishop of Gaylord | |
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| See | Gaylord, Michigan |
| In Office | 7 October 2009 – current |
| Predecessor | Patrick R. Cooney |
| Successor | incumbent |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1 July 1989 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 September 1959 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Previous post | Undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts |
Bernard Anthony Hebda (born 3 September 1959) is the bishop of Gaylord since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 7 October 2009. He was consecrated a bishop and installed on 1 December 2009 at Saint Mary's Cathedral in Gaylord.[1] He had previously served as Undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for of Legislative Texts.
Contents |
Hebda was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1959 in the community of Brookline. He attended South Hills Catholic High School (now Seton-La Salle Catholic High School, and then attended Harvard University, earning a BA in 1980 in Political Science. He later earned a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School at the Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law in 1983.
He entered the seminary and studied philosophy at the Saint Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh from 1984 to 1985. He was sent to Rome, where he resided at the Pontifical North American College and attended the Pontifical Gregorian University, obtaining a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (1985–1988) and then a licentiate in Canon Law (1988–1990).
He was ordained a priest on 1 July 1989 for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, where he held the following positions: assistant priest at the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Ellwood City (1989), personal secretary of the then-Bishop of Pittsburgh, Donald Wuerl and Master of Ceremonies (1990–1992), and pastor in solidum at the Prince of Peace Parish in Pittsburgh (South Side) (1992–1995), Judge of the Diocesan Tribunal (1992–1996), and Director of the Newman Center at Slippery Rock University (1995–1996).
He was called to Rome to work at the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts on 10 September 1996. On 16 February 2000 he was appointed as a Chaplain of His Holiness with the title Monsignor. From 2003 he served as under-secretary of the Pontifical Council.
In Rome, Hebda was also an adjunct spiritual director at the Pontifical North American College and confessor to the Missionaries of Charity. He lived at the Villa Stritch, a residence for American priests working in the Holy See. After his appointment as Bishop of Gaylord, Hebda presided at Vespers at the Pontifical North American College on 16 October 2009. During the banquet that followed the liturgy, the College community presented him with a pectoral cross and crosier.
Besides English, he speaks Italian and knows Latin, French, and Spanish.
| Styles of Bernard Hebda |
|
|---|---|
| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Your Excellency |
| Posthumous style | not applicable |
On 7 October 2009 Hebda was named as the fourth bishop of Gaylord.[1]
With Hebda's appointment, a record seven Pittsburghers now lead US dioceses, including Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, Donald Wuerl of Washington D.C., David Zubik of Pittsburgh, Thomas Tobin of Providence and Edward Burns of Juneau.
He was consecrated a bishop and installed on 1 December 2009 at Saint Mary's Cathedral in Gaylord.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Patrick R. Cooney |
Bishop of Gaylord 7 October 2009 – incumbent |
Succeeded by incumbent |