New bishop for Diocese of Greensburg installed at cathedral before hundreds of worshippers
Greensburg Bishop Edward C. Malesic displayed the trademark sense of humor that endeared him to parishioners in the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg during his ordination/installation Mass Monday.
His invitation to the ceremony, he told about 1,000 invited guests in Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, remains unopened.
“I wasn't sure if I was coming or not,” he quipped during his first remarks as bishop.
Because he hadn't sent in his RSVP, he thanked the diocese for holding a seat for him.
“It has a great view,” he said. “... Be patient with me. I am not perfect, I have heard the learning curve for a new bishop is steep.”
He thanked his predecessor, Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt, for being a tremendous friend.
“It means a lot to the people of our diocese to witness the succession from one bishop ... to the next,” Malesic said. “I'll call you ‘No. 4,' and you can call me ‘No. 5.' ”
Malesic, 54, took over leadership of a flock of almost 144,000 Catholics during a ceremony rich in tradition but a bit shy of the usual pomp. The self-described “simple parish priest,” opted for fewer and less elaborate floral arrangements.
Brandt called Malesic “a gifted priest” and said the Greensburg diocese welcomed him “with open arms and grateful hearts.”
The diocesan choir and orchestra earned words of praise from Malesic.
“They said you were good, and you are good,” he said.
Malesic was named by Pope Francis in April to succeed Brandt, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 in March 2014. Malesic is one of four American priests to be named bishops this year by the pope, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia served as the principal consecrator.
“The title of bishop is one of service, not of honor, and therefore a bishop should strive to benefit others rather than lord it over them,” he said in his homily. Malesic “will be a crystal-clear icon of the presence of Jesus Christ.”
During the three-hour Mass, Malesic was ordained a bishop and installed as the fifth head of the diocese. The audience applauded as the papal nuncio read Pope Francis' letter of appointment of Malesic and thanked Brandt for his 11 years of service to the diocese.
“What's striking about Bishop Malesic is how much he is a pastor and how much he knows the language of the people,” said Bishop David Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The new bishop invited at least two representatives from each of the Greensburg diocese's 78 parishes in four counties to the Mass, where they served as guides and ushers.
“I thought it was such a nice gesture to involve people from all the deaneries,” said Anna Marie Riscinto, of St. Thomas More parish in Indiana.
John Lucjak, of Christ the King parish in Leechburg, said he was encouraged by the comments he heard from Malesic's former parishioners.
“They all said they hate to see him go. He's a people person, and that's good,” Lucjak said, as he directed guests to the cathedral.
Malesic, who worked in campus ministry at Millersville University and Franklin & Marshall College, wanted youth involvement in the service and picked 15-year-old Justin Chovanec, who attends St. Pius X in Mt. Pleasant, to be a reader.
Toni Chovanec of Mt. Pleasant said she was thrilled when Malesic called her son and asked him to participate.
“I am so excited about the new bishop. His personality is something people are drawn to,” she said.
“He called me first and asked my permission, then he called (Justin) and talked to him for about 10 minutes. He had a real conversation with him,” she said.
The service included Kaylee Ermine, Geibel Catholic High School's 2015 valedictorian, and Romano Sebastiani, a 2015 Greensburg Central Catholic High School grad, as gift bearers.
Bob Rhody, a tenor in the 60-member diocesan choir that sang at the service, said he has a good feeling about the new bishop.
“I like everything about him, and everything I've read about him is good. He'll be a breath of life to this parish,” Rhody said.
Trib Total Media staff writer Deb Erdley contributed. Craig Smith is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-5646 or csmith@tribweb.com.
