Arthur J. Serratelli
Encyclopedia
Arthur Joseph Serratelli (born April 8, 1944) is the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
in northern
New Jersey
.
native and attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in the Ironbound
section of Newark. He graduated from Seton Hall Preparatory School
in 1961. He attended Seton Hall University
for two years, then moved to the Darlington section of Mahwah, New Jersey
where the Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
was located. After two years of Philosophical studies, Serratelli was sent to Rome
where he attended the Pontifical Gregorian University
and resided at the Pontifical North American College
.
in 1968, Serratelli worked in a parish for a short period of time and then was appointed to teach at the seminary. Archbishop Peter Leo Gerety
sent him back to Rome where he attained two advanced degrees, an S.T.D. (Doctorate in Sacred Theology
) and an S.S.L. (Licentiate in Sacred Scripture
).
Serratelli returned to the Archdiocese of Newark after completing his degrees and continued to teach scripture at Seton Hall University School of Theology for over 20 years. Serratelli also held other positions during this time, including rector
of the College division of the Immaculate Conception Seminary
at St. Andrew's Hall. His Holiness
, Pope John Paul II
named him a Prelate of Honor and he received the title of Monsignor
in 1998.
While serving in the Archdiocese of Newark, he was a member of the following Archdiocesan consultative bodies:
of Newark with the Titular See
of Enera. He was consecrated a bishop on September 8, 2000 (the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
) by then Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, with co-consecreating Bishops Michael Angelo Saltarelli
and Bishop Paul Gregory Bootkoski
). After his consecration, Serratelli was appointed the vicar for Essex County. When McCarrick was transferred to the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
and John J. Myers
, formerly Bishop of Peoria, Illinois
became the new Archbishop of Newark, Serratelli was appointed the Archdiocesan Vicar General
.
On June 1, 2004, Pope John Paul II accepted the retirement of Frank J. Rodimer
from his position as Bishop of Paterson, and appointed Serratelli as his successor as the Seventh Bishop of Paterson. Serratelli was installed on July 6 of that year. In his ministry as bishop, Serratelli has focused on increasing priestly vocations, the need for new evangelization and strengthening liturgical devotion throughout the 111 parishes in Passaic
, Morris
and Sussex
counties.
As a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB) in Washington, DC, Serratelli presently serves as Chairman of the Committee on Doctrine's Subcommittee for the Review of Scripture Translations. He is also a member of The Committee on Divine Worship and its Task Groups on Liturgy with Children, and the Review of the Lectionary
.
Previously, Serratelli served as the Chairman of the Committee on Liturgy (2007–2010, known presently as the Committee on Divine Worship) and was responsible for announcing the acceptance by the Vatican of changes to the English translation of the Roman Missal, to be implemented throughout the Roman Catholic Church in English-speaking countries on the First Sunday of Advent 2011 (November 27, 2011). He was also a member of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Review of the Catechism
(known presently as the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis), the Ad Hoc Committee for the Spanish Bible for the Church in America, the Board of Bishops for the American College of Louvain (which is scheduled for closure at the end of the 2010-2011 academic year), and the Committee for Women in the Church and Society (known presently as the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth).
In addition. he is a member of the following:
He is also the representative for the United States on the International Commission on English in the Liturgy
and the Catholic co-chairperson, together with the Baptist theologian the Reverend Professor Paul Fiddes, DD
, of the International Theological Consultation between Catholics and Baptists.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
The Diocese of Paterson is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, which includes three counties in northern New Jersey: Passaic, Morris, and Sussex. The city of Paterson, third-largest in the state of New Jersey, was chosen as the episcopal see, even though...
in northern
North Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...
New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Early life
Serratelli is a Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
native and attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in the Ironbound
Ironbound
The Ironbound is a large working-class neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey. This close-knit, multi-ethnic community covers approximately four square miles . Historically, the area was called "Dutch Neck," "Down Neck," or simply "the Neck," because of the way the Passaic River curved to form what...
section of Newark. He graduated from Seton Hall Preparatory School
Seton Hall Preparatory School
Seton Hall Preparatory School, generally called Seton Hall Prep, is a Roman Catholic boys' high school located in the suburban community of West Orange in Essex County, New Jersey, operating under the supervision of the Archdiocese of Newark...
in 1961. He attended Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
for two years, then moved to the Darlington section of Mahwah, New Jersey
Mahwah, New Jersey
Mahwah is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 25,890. The name Mahwah is derived from the Lenni Lenape word "mawewi" which means "Meeting Place" or "Place Where Paths Meet".The area that is now Mahwah was...
where the Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
The Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology is part of Seton Hall University, the Roman Catholic university of New Jersey, and is located in South Orange. ICCST is one of the oldest Catholic seminaries in the United States. The university is the oldest diocesan university in the country....
was located. After two years of Philosophical studies, Serratelli was sent to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
where he attended the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
and resided at the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
.
Priestly Ministry
Ordained for the Archdiocese of NewarkRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
in 1968, Serratelli worked in a parish for a short period of time and then was appointed to teach at the seminary. Archbishop Peter Leo Gerety
Peter Leo Gerety
Peter Leo Gerety is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Newark from 1974 to 1986, having previously served as Bishop of Portland...
sent him back to Rome where he attained two advanced degrees, an S.T.D. (Doctorate in Sacred Theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
) and an S.S.L. (Licentiate in Sacred Scripture
Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
).
Serratelli returned to the Archdiocese of Newark after completing his degrees and continued to teach scripture at Seton Hall University School of Theology for over 20 years. Serratelli also held other positions during this time, including rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the College division of the Immaculate Conception Seminary
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
The Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology is part of Seton Hall University, the Roman Catholic university of New Jersey, and is located in South Orange. ICCST is one of the oldest Catholic seminaries in the United States. The university is the oldest diocesan university in the country....
at St. Andrew's Hall. His Holiness
His Holiness
His Holiness is the official style or manner of address in reference to the leaders of certain religious groups. In Christianity, specifically the Orthodox Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church, Armenian Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Roman Catholic...
, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
named him a Prelate of Honor and he received the title of Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1998.
While serving in the Archdiocese of Newark, he was a member of the following Archdiocesan consultative bodies:
- The College of ConsultorsConsultorA consultor is one who gives counsel, i.e. a counselor.In the Catholic Church, it is a specific title for various advisory positions:*in the Roman Curia, a consultor is a specially appointed expert who may be called upon for advice desired by a department...
- The Commission for the Men's Apostolate
- The Archdiocesan Finance Council
- The Archdiocesan Presbyteral CouncilPresbyteral CouncilThe Presbyteral Council or Council of Priests is a group of priests chosen to assist the local ordinary in an advisory capacity in the governance of the diocese. Canon 495 of the Code of Canon Law lays down that every diocese must have such a council...
- The Priestly Vocations Board.
Episcopal Ministry
On July 3, 2000, Pope John Paul II named Serratelli an Auxiliary BishopAuxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Newark with the Titular See
Titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....
of Enera. He was consecrated a bishop on September 8, 2000 (the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Nativity of Mary
The Nativity of Mary, or Birth of the Virgin and various permutations, is celebrated as a liturgical feast in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and in most Anglican liturgical calendars on 8 September, nine months after the solemnity of her Immaculate Conception, celebrated on 8 December...
) by then Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, with co-consecreating Bishops Michael Angelo Saltarelli
Michael Angelo Saltarelli
Michael Angelo Saltarelli was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wilmington from 1995 to 2008.-Biography:...
and Bishop Paul Gregory Bootkoski
Paul Gregory Bootkoski
Paul Gregory Bootkoski is the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. He was appointed to the post in 2002....
). After his consecration, Serratelli was appointed the vicar for Essex County. When McCarrick was transferred to the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the District of Columbia and Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's and Saint Mary's counties in the state of Maryland....
and John J. Myers
John J. Myers
-References:...
, formerly Bishop of Peoria, Illinois
Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the central Illinois region of the United States.-Territory:...
became the new Archbishop of Newark, Serratelli was appointed the Archdiocesan Vicar General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
.
On June 1, 2004, Pope John Paul II accepted the retirement of Frank J. Rodimer
Frank Joseph Rodimer
Frank Joseph Rodimer is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Paterson from 1977 to 2004.-Biography:Frank Rodimer was born in Rockaway, New Jersey, and ordained to the priesthood on May 19, 1951...
from his position as Bishop of Paterson, and appointed Serratelli as his successor as the Seventh Bishop of Paterson. Serratelli was installed on July 6 of that year. In his ministry as bishop, Serratelli has focused on increasing priestly vocations, the need for new evangelization and strengthening liturgical devotion throughout the 111 parishes in Passaic
Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...
, Morris
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
and Sussex
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
counties.
As a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
(USCCB) in Washington, DC, Serratelli presently serves as Chairman of the Committee on Doctrine's Subcommittee for the Review of Scripture Translations. He is also a member of The Committee on Divine Worship and its Task Groups on Liturgy with Children, and the Review of the Lectionary
Lectionary
A Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion.-History:...
.
Previously, Serratelli served as the Chairman of the Committee on Liturgy (2007–2010, known presently as the Committee on Divine Worship) and was responsible for announcing the acceptance by the Vatican of changes to the English translation of the Roman Missal, to be implemented throughout the Roman Catholic Church in English-speaking countries on the First Sunday of Advent 2011 (November 27, 2011). He was also a member of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Review of the Catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
(known presently as the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis), the Ad Hoc Committee for the Spanish Bible for the Church in America, the Board of Bishops for the American College of Louvain (which is scheduled for closure at the end of the 2010-2011 academic year), and the Committee for Women in the Church and Society (known presently as the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth).
In addition. he is a member of the following:
- The Board of Bishops of the New Jersey Catholic Conference
- The Board of Trustees of Assumption CollegeAssumption CollegeAssumption College is a private, Roman Catholic, liberal arts college located on 185 acres in Worcester, Massachusetts. Assumption has an enrollment of about 2,117 undergraduates...
, Mendham, New JerseyMendham, New JerseyMendham is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,097.While New Jersey was an English colony, Mendham Township was formed on March 29, 1749 as a new governmental entity, from portions of Hanover Township, Morris Township,... - The Board of Trustees at the College of St. Elizabeth, Convent StationConvent Station, New JerseyConvent Station is an unincorporated area within Morris Township, Morris County, New Jersey, east of Morristown.-History:The community is named after, and contains, the railroad station established during the 1870s to serve the complex of the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, a Catholic school operated...
- The Board of Trustees at Seton Hall UniversitySeton Hall UniversitySeton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
- The Board of Overseers at Immaculate Conception Seminary.
He is also the representative for the United States on the International Commission on English in the Liturgy
International Commission on English in the Liturgy
The International Commission on English in the Liturgy is a commission set up by a number of episcopal conferences of English-speaking countries for the purpose of providing English translations of the liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the originals of which are in Latin.Decisions to adopt these...
and the Catholic co-chairperson, together with the Baptist theologian the Reverend Professor Paul Fiddes, DD
Paul Fiddes
Paul Stuart Fiddes is a British Baptist theologian. He is Professor of Systematic Theology in the University of Oxford and was formerly Principal of Regent's Park College and Chairman of the Theology Faculty...
, of the International Theological Consultation between Catholics and Baptists.