Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, released the following statement today on the news that Auxiliary Bishop Martin D. Holley has been appointed by our Holy Father, Pope Francis, as the fifth Bishop of Memphis

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

The announcement of the appointment by our Holy Father, Pope Francis, of Bishop Martin D. Holley as the fifth Bishop of Memphis, Tennessee, while a blessing for that diocesan Church it is also a joy for all of us in Washington, where he has served as Auxiliary Bishop for the past twelve years.

Bishop Holley has demonstrated both pastoral sensitivity and administrative ability that should serve him well as he now undertakes his new ministry in western Tennessee. We rejoice that the Church of Memphis is receiving such a talented and caring pastor of souls.

During that time, Bishop Holley was a member of the Washington InterFaith Network, International Catholic Foundation for the Service of Deaf People, Catholic Athletes for Christ and well as the D.C. and Maryland Catholic Conferences.

As a Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Washington, he was a member of the archdiocesan College of Consultors, Presbyteral Council, Seminarian Review Board, Administrative Board, and was Chairman for the College of Deans which oversees the fourteen deaneries in this local Church.

As former Moderator of the Ethnic Ministries, Bishop Holley was able to see that the pastoral needs of all the ethnic and language communities within the Archdiocese of Washington were appropriately addressed. Additionally, he has joined pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Washington at World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany in 2005, in Madrid, Spain in 2011 as well as recently in Kraków, Poland in 2016.

While we will miss his presence here in Washington, we wish him every blessing as he assumes his duties at the service of what has been described as “The Good Samaritan on the banks of the Mississippi.”

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