Archbishop Niederauer:
‘With great joy I welcome our new auxiliary bishop’.
With great joy I welcome the appointment of our new auxiliary bishop of San Francisco, William J. Justice. I am grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for recognizing the needs of the Archdiocese of San Francisco for a collaborator in episcopal ministry, and I am thankful to Bishop-elect Justice for answering this new call.
The priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese join me in rejoicing at this appointment. Bishop-elect Justice brings so many vital gifts to his new office: his generous priestly heart and sound judgment; his knowledge and appreciation of the Archdiocese of San Francisco — its diverse people, its needs and its resources; his love for the universal Church and for his non-Catholic sisters and brothers as well. Bishop-elect Justice enjoys the trust, confidence and respect of his brother priests in his present work as Vicar for Clergy, a position in which he will continue to serve in the Archdiocese.
While it is true that His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI has honored Bishop-elect Justice by selecting and appointing him as auxiliary bishop, we must recognize, as he does, that he will be ordained as a successor of the first apostles on May 28th mainly because this local Church of San Francisco needs his ministry as a servant-leader. Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Wang and I welcome our new bishop as he joins us in our ministry of proclaiming the Word, celebrating in worship, sacrament and prayer, and gathering and shepherding the flock of Christ the Good Shepherd in this Church under the patronage of St. Francis of Assisi. Ad multos annos! May he serve for many years
Most Reverend George H. Niederauer
Archbishop of San Francisco
