WASHINGTON — Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, 77, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Albany, New York, and has appointed Auxiliary Bishop Mark W. O’Connell of Boston as his successor.
The resignation and appointment were announced by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., in Washington Oct. 20.
“I have had the blessing over the last year to work with Bishop Mark O’Connell,” Boston Archbishop Richard G. Henning said. “He is a remarkably capable man and very humble. He loves people and he loves the priests of our Archdiocese.”
Archbishop Henning said that Bishop O’Connell has “served Boston joyfully and effectively for decades. While we are sorry to lose him here in Boston we rejoice with the clergy, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Albany. We are sending you our best and wishing you and your new bishop every blessing!”
Bishop O’Connell was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston in 1990 and served in parish, seminary and tribunal roles before being named an auxiliary bishop of Boston June 3, 2016. He was ordained a bishop on Aug. 24 of that year. He chose the Latin “Invenimus Messiam,” or “We found a Messiah” as his episcopal motto.
