| Styles of Ignatius Anthony Catanello |
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|---|---|
| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Monsignor |
| Posthumous style | not applicable |
Ignatius Anthony Catanello (born July 23, 1938) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. From 1994 to 2010 he served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn.
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One of two children, Ignatius Catanello was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Nicholas and Mary Catanello. He attended Most Holy Trinity School in Williamsburg, and Bushwick High School. After high school he spent a year at the novitiate of the Order of Augustinian Recollects in Kansas City, Kansas, before returning to Brooklyn for studies at Cathedral College. He also attended St. Francis College, from where he earned a Bachelor's degree, and later Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington.
Catanello was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Bryan McEntegart on May 28, 1966. He ministered successively in the parishes of St. Rita's, Long Island City; St. Helen's, Howard Beach; St. Ann's, Flushing; and Our Lady of Angels, Bay Ridge.
Throughout his early priesthood, Catanello pursued graduate degrees, earning a Master's degree in both theology and counseling from St. John's University and a doctorate in religious studies from New York University. For 27 years he taught theology at St. John's as an adjunct professor, and the university honored him with its President's Medal in l975 and an honorary doctorate of law in l989. He has also received the Distinguished Service Award of LaGuardia College, recognizing his work with the school in its early years. In the mid 1970s, he was president of both the diocesan Priests' Senate and the Priests' Councils of New York.
Named episcopal vicar for the Queens South Vicariate in 1988 and a monsignor in l989, he served in that work until 1991 when he was named principal of Cathedral Preparatory Seminary in Elmhurst.
On June 28, 1994, Catanello was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn and Titular Bishop of Deultum by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following August 22 from Bishop Thomas Daily, with Bishops Joseph Sullivan and René Valero serving as co-consecrators, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica.
It was Catanello's involvement in interfaith and ecumenical activities for a decade as chairman of the diocesan Ecumenical Commission that prepared him for an appointment as a consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Subcommittee on Interreligious Dialogue. His particular emphasis is on Catholic-Islamic conversations among leaders of both faiths ministering in the eastern United States.
He also serves as the episcopal moderator of the National Association of Holy Name Societies, based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Bishop Catanello has been in residence at Holy Family parish, Flushing, New York since 1989 and served as Pastor from 2007-2011. He is currently Pastor Emeritus of Holy Family.
On September 20, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Catanello's resignation, submitted for reasons of health.[1]