Vatican Knows the South Shall Rise Again!!! (Miami and Springfield Illinois)

Update- Whispers also has some things on the Press conference as to both Bishops. See Opening Shots

With perhaps more to stateside appointemnts to come to come next week.

Nice day for Polish folks .


Bishop Thomas Wenski, 59 (above), ordinary of Orlando since 2004, as metropolitan archbishop of Miami;
and Bishop Thomas Paprocki, 57, auxiliary of Chicago since 2003, as bishop of Springfield in Illinois..

Whispers as usual was breaking this news last night. He has a good post here Holy Goalie: A Two-Pole Tuesday

Also another detailed post on the the Miami Archbishop here at In Miami, The Homecoming What makes this Seat even more important of course is it could be upfor a Cardianl's Hat one day.

Sadly we Louisiana Catholics lose one to grace an Archsbihop Chair since the retiring Archbishop was Louisiana born and bred.

Still in the above link we see that VATICAN understand the importance of the American South

While the native Miamian had earlier been buzzed about as a top candidate for Detroit, the choice for a significantly amped-up profile for the top church post in the nation's fourth-largest state is but the latest testimony to Rome's awareness of and blessing on the ascent of the church in the South, and with it, just the latest effort to provide the diverse, energized, confident Southeastern bloc with leadership reflecting its ever more emergent Catholic presence. (By the numbers, the Miami church grew by some 200,000 members -- roughly a third -- over the course of Favalora's 16-year tenure at its helm.)And lastly, with the expected appointment, Benedict XVI will have named nine of the heads of the nation's 25 largest local churches, and 15 of these shores' 33 archbishops.

Whispers also hints strongly that something big will happen next week which I suspect could be the appointment of more new Bishops.

For the record if I am correct at this moment the following Sees are vacant or have people in them that are over the mandatory age of 75

Harrisburg PA, 1868 vacated 2009 Nov

La Crosse WI, 1868 vacated2009 Nov

San Antonio TX, 1874/1926 vacated 2010 Apr

The following Sees have Bishops that are serving past the retirement age of 75

Bp. William Higi Lafayette IN, turned 75 in 2008 Aug
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Abp. Alexander Brunett Seattle WA turned 75 in 2009 Jan

Bp. William Skylstad Spokane WA, turned 75 in 2009 Mar
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Abp. Eusebius Beltran Oklahoma City OK, turnbed 75 in2009 Aug

Bp. Kevin Boland Savannah GA turned 75 2010 Apr

Abp. Justin Rigali Philadelphia PA, turned 75 in 2010 Apr