Posted on 06/12/2009 5:19:40 AM PDT by markomalley
The Vatican for the first time in the city's history today appointed a New Orleans native to head the Catholic church here, naming Bishop Gregory Aymond of Austin, Texas the 14th archbishop of New Orleans.
He will replace Archbishop Alfred Hughes, who retires after seven of the most tumultuous years in the 216-year history of the New Orleans church.
Aymond, 59, grew up in Gentilly and spent his entire career in New Orleans until his departure for Texas nine years ago.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans said Aymond would take office after an installation Mass Aug. 20.
The church was expected to schedule a news conference later today to present Aymond to the city.
In Austin, Aymond presided over a regional church under stress - but stressed by explosive growth, not contraction, like the post-Katrina church in New Orleans.
During the 1990s the central Texas church, sprawling over 25 counties, more than doubled in size, mostly because of the influx of Catholics in high-tech jobs and Hispanics leaving unproductive farm jobs in Mexico and Central America. That growth continued during the last decade.
With 450,000 Catholics in 125 parishes, the Austin diocese is now larger than the archdiocese of New Orleans, with about 380,000 Catholics in 108 parishes. But because New Orleans is an archdiocese, Aymond will be promoted to the rank of archbishop, making him the senior Catholic prelate among his six colleagues heading Louisiana dioceses in other parts of the state.
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
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