The Changing Face of the Episcopacy

With only a tongue-in-cheek nod to a book by a similar title, and with my usual taste for irony, I look at the changes that are coming for the Church in America. While I certainly don't agree with Fr Cozzens on many things, I can see a major change in the way things are going to be in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Holy Father will have the opportunity to appoint several new Bishops over the course of the next year or two.

Currently Vacant are the sees of:

1. Charleston, SC (since August 2007, when the Bishop was appointed to Birmingham, AL)
2. Biloxi, MS (since April 2008, when the Bishop was appointed to Mobile, AL)
3. Gallup, NM (since April 30, 2008, when the Bishop retired)
4. St Louis, MO (since June 27, 2008, when the Archbishop was appointed to the Signatura)
5. Cheyenne, WY (since July 9, 2008, when the Bishop was appointed to Green Bay, WI)
6. Duluth, MN (Since October 17, 2008, when the Bishop was named Coadiutor of Cincinnati, OH)
   
7. Owensboro, KY (since January 5, 2009, when the Bishop retired)
8. Oakland, CA (since January 5, 2009, when the Bishop was appointed to Detroit)

There are also several Bishops who have already submitted their letter of resignation, upon reaching 75 years of age:

1. Edward Cardinal Egan (New York, NY -- April 2, 2007)
2. Abp Eldin Curtiss (Omaha, NE -- June 16, 2007)
3. Bp James Murray (Kalamazoo, MI -- July 5, 2007)
4. Bp James Moynihan (Syracuse, NY -- July 16, 2007)
5. Bp John D'Arcy (Fort Wayne-South Bend, IN -- Aug 18, 2007)
6. Abp Alfred Hughes (New Orleans, LA -- December 2, 2007)
7. Bp Arthur Tafoya (Pueblo, CO -- March 2, 2008)
8. Bp Edward Cullen (Allentown, PA -- March 15, 2008)
9. Bp William Higi (Lafeyette in Indiana, IN -- August 29, 2008)
10. Bp Bernard Harrington (Winona, MN -- September 6, 2008)
11. Bp Edmond Carmody (Corpus Christi, TX -- January 12, 2009)
12. Abp Alexander Brunett (Seattle, WA -- January 17, 2009)

Additionally, there are those who will turn 75 in the near future:

1. Bp Raymundo Pe~na (Brownsville, TX -- February 19, 2009)
2. Bp William Skylstad (Spokane, WA -- March 2, 2009)
3. Bp Patrick Cooney (Gaylord, MI -- March 10, 2009)
4. Abp Daniel Pilarczyk (Cincinnati, OH -- August 12, 2009)*Coadiutor appointed
   
5. Abp Eusebius Beltran (Oklahoma City, OK -- August 31, 2009)

This is not to mention the number of Auxilliary Bishops who are also past or near retirement age. We must pray and fast, because the potential appointment of these Bishops in 24 sees during 2009 could have a major change on the American Bishop's conference.