Diocese Of Rockford Introduces New Bishop

(Rockford) -- Bishop Thomas Doran has served the Catholic Diocese of Rockford for the past eighteen years.  On his 75th birthday, he submitted his resignation in accordance with canon law.

Tuesday, the Diocese introduced his replacement - Bishop Elect, David Malloy.

"I am humbled and filled with joy," Malloy said as he was greeted by a round of applause Tuesday afternoon.

Malloy comes to the Diocese from Lake Geneva, where he served as pastor at St. Francis de Sales Parish. 

A native of Miluwaukee, Wisconsin, he says he's looking forward to working with the Rockford community.

"My first priority," he says, "is to get to know the priests and faithful of Rockford, so we can see our joint love for the Church and Jesus Christ."

Bishop Elect Malloy becomes the 9th bishop of the Diocese of Rockford.  While there is no timetable currently for when he'll begin his duties, there's a lot of excitement.

"He comes with great enthusiasm and desire to get to know the priests and people of the Diocese," says Pastor Joseph Linster of Rockford's St. Patrick Church.   "It's important.   A very pastoral approach."

Bishop Thomas Doran will remain an apostolic administrator until Bishop Elect Malloy's episcopal ordination and installation.  The two men have been friends for a long time.

"I thought, 'isn't it nice and wonderful that somebody comes that I have had good associations with,'" Doran says.  "[He has] a proven ability and will be an asset to the Diocese as long as he's here."

In conversations with his parish over the past year, Bishop Elect Malloy has created a vision of education.

"We're hungry for this," says Malloy.  "We want to know more about our faith and what we're teaching."