Pope Francis Names Archdiocesan Priest Father William D. Byrne as Bishop of Springfield

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Pope Francis today appointed Reverend William D. Byrne as the new Bishop of Springfield in Massachusetts. The Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts has been a vacant see since June 2020. Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory released the following statement on the news from the Vatican this morning:

Pope Francis has chosen one of our most beloved and successful pastors in appointing Father William D. Byrne as the new bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts.  Father Byrne will bring the heart of a pastor to his new appointment and enrich that local Church with his talents and energy.  We wish him well even as we acknowledge his loss to the Archdiocese of Washington.  He will always carry with him our prayers and deep admiration.

Fr. Byrne was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Washington on June 25, 1994 and has served as pastor of Our Lady of Mercy in Potomac, Maryland, since 2015. Previously, he served at St. Peter Church on Capitol Hill, as chaplain of the Catholic Student Center at the University of Maryland, and as Secretary for Pastoral Ministry and Social Concerns for the Archdiocese of Washington, among other roles.

The Diocese of Springfield is home to more than 199,000 Catholics in 79 parishes and 7 missions.

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