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Most Reverend Robert Joseph Cunningham 13th Bishop of Ogdensburg
Born and raised in Buffalo, Bishop Robert J. Cunningham has been a priest for more than 34 years. He has served the diocese in several administrative and parish positions, including diocesan administrator, chancellor, vicar general and pastor. As diocesan administrator, he has overseen the day to day operations of the Diocese of Buffalo since last December when Archbishop Henry J. Mansell was installed as the archbishop of Hartford. His responsibilities as chancellor of the diocese make him the chief archivist of the diocese’s official records as well as notary and secretary of the diocesan curia. These duties go hand in hand with his responsibilities as vicar general, serving as the bishop’s deputy in the administration of the diocese. He was ordained to the priesthood by Auxiliary Bishop Bernard J. McLaughlin on May 24, 1969 at St. Joseph New Cathedral in Buffalo. Bishop Cunningham’s first assignment was to serve as assistant pastor at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Kenmore. In 1972, he was named assistant pastor at his home parish of St. John the Baptist, Kenmore. In 1974, he was named secretary to Bishop Edward D. Head and assistant chancellor of the diocese. He received a degree in Canon Law from The Catholic University of America in 1977. Upon graduation, he was named a judge in the marriage tribunal and vice chancellor of the diocese. Bishop Cunningham has served on a number of boards for the diocese including the boards of Christ the King Seminary, Catholic Charities, Baker-Victory Services and the Cantalician Center, as well as on the board of Wadhams Hall Seminary-College, Ogdensburg. He has also served on the diocesan ecumenical commission and the board of Buffalo Area Metropolitan Ministries. In 1985, he was appointed chancellor for the Diocese of Buffalo. The following year, Bishop-elect Cunningham was named vicar general for the diocese. Bishop Henry J. Mansell reappointed him vicar general in 1995. In January 2002, Bishop Mansell named Bishop Cunningham pastor of St. Louis Church in downtown Buffalo. On December 22, 2003, the diocesan College of Consultors elected Bishop Cunningham diocesan administrator, a position he held until he was installed as the thirteenth Bishop of Ogdensburg on May 18, 2004. In addition to appointments from the Diocese of Buffalo, Bishop Cunningham has received a number of honors from Pope John Paul II. Within a 10-year span, he received all three of the ranks of monsignor in the Catholic Church. In July 1984, he was named chaplain to His Holiness, in October 1988, he was named Prelate of Honor, and in May 1993, he was named Prothonotary Apostolic. He also has an honorary doctorate from Niagara University. The son of the late Cecil and Grace Cunningham, Bishop Cunningham has a brother, Patrick J. (Sheila) Cunningham, and a sister, Eileen C. Korn (Dr. Ronald), both of whom live in Williamsville. He has several nieces and nephews, and several grand nieces and grand nephews. He attended St. John the Baptist Elementary School, Kenmore, and the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary, Buffalo. His college and seminary years were spent at St. John Vianney Seminary, East Aurora, where he earned both Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees.
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