Salvatore Ronald Matano

American prelate

His Excellency, The Most Reverend Salvatore Ronald Matano
Bishop of Rochester
Diocese	Rochester
Appointed	November 26, 2013
Installed	January 3, 2014
Predecessor	Matthew H. Clark
Orders
Ordination	December 17, 1971 by James Aloysius Hickey
Consecration	April 19, 2005 by Gabriel Montalvo Higuera, Seán Patrick O'Malley, and Kenneth Anthony Angell
Personal details
Born	(1946-09-15) September 15, 1946 (age 77) Providence, Rhode Island
Nationality	American
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Parents	Salvatore and Mary Matano
Previous post(s)	Secretary to the Apostolic Nuncio of the United States (1991) Bishop of Burlington (2005-2014)
Alma mater	Our Lady of Providence Seminary College Pontifical Gregorian University
Motto	In unitatem fidei (To the unity of the faith)

Styles of Salvatore Ronald Matano

Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Salvatore Ronald Matano (born September 15, 1946) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as bishop of the Diocese of Rochester in Upstate New York since 2013. Matano previously served as Bishop of Burlington in Vermont from 2005 to 2013.

Biography

Early life

Salvatore Matano was born on September 15, 1946, in Providence, Rhode Island to Salvatore and Mary (née Santaniello) Matano. He attended St. Ann Elementary School and La Salle Academy in Providence. After graduating from high school, Matano decided to become a priest. He entered Our Lady of Providence Seminary College in Providence, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy degree.^[1]

Priesthood

Matano was ordained into the priesthood for the Diocese of Providence by Bishop James Hickey on December 17, 1971, in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. ^[2]In 1972, Matano received his Licentiate of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.^[1]

After finishing his studies in Rome, Matano in 1972 returned to Providence. The diocese then assigned him as assistant pastor at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Johnston, Rhode Island. In 1973, he was placed on the faculty of Our Lady of Providence Seminary High School, where he taught for the next four years. In 1977, Matano was named director of priest personnel for the diocese. In 1980, Bishop Louis Gelineau appointed Matano as diocesan assistant chancellor.^[1]

Matano returned to Rome for graduate studies. receiving his Doctor of Canon Law degree in 1983. After finishing in Rome, Gelineau named Matano as vicar for administration and co-chancellor. The Vatican elevated him to the rank of honorary prelate in 1985. In 1991, Matano spent a year in Washington, D.C. acting as the secretary to the apostolic nuncio of the United States, Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan. In 1992, Gelineau selected Matano to serve as vicar general and moderator of the curia for the diocese. The Vatican designated him as a protonotary apostolic in 1993.^[1]

In 1995, Matano became a special lecturer for undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Theology at Providence College. In 1997, Matano gave up his positions in the church hierarchy to become a parish priest at St. Sebastian's Parish in Providence.^[1]

In January 2000, Matano returned to Washington to serve as secretary to the new apostolic nuncio of the United States, Archbishop Gabriel Higuera.^[1]

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Burlington

On March 3, 2005, Matano was appointed coadjutor bishop of Burlington by Pope John Paul II to assist Bishop Kenneth Angell. Matano received his episcopal consecration on April 19, 2005, from Archbishop Higuera, with Archbishop Seán O'Malley and Angell serving as co-consecrators. Matano succeeded Angell as the ninth bishop of Burlington on November 9, 2005.^[2]

As bishop, Matano created a pastoral plan that merged some parishes to cope with the shortage of priests and allow sharing of parish resources and facilities.^[3] In 2008, Matano attended most of an 11-day civil trial of a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse of a minor by a diocesan priest.^[4]

Bishop of Rochester

On November 6, 2013, Pope Francis named Matano to succeed Bishop Matthew H. Clark as bishop of Rochester. Matano's installation took place on January 3, 2014.^[5]^[1] On August 18, 2018, Matano sent a letter to all parishioners in the diocese, expressing his outrage on the sexual abuse of children and young adults by diocese priests:

"I cannot express adequately my sorrow for the pain, suffering and turmoil endured by the victims of child sexual abuse, especially when it is committed by the very ones who were so trusted and so grievously betrayed that very trust."^[6]

On September 1, 2019, Matano returned to St. Augustine’s Parish in Providence, where he had previously served as a priest. He celebrated the 9:30 am Mass with parishioners. In July, 2021, Matano attended a forum in Auburn, New York, for parishioners who were concerned about plans to close four churches in that city. During the meeting, he made this statement: "As has been mentioned tonight, we are like a family. But how many times do families have to make sacrifices?" ^[7] Matano currently sits on the board of trustees of St. John's Seminary in Boston.

In December 2018, Monsignor James Kruse of the Diocese of Peoria claimed that Matano was blocking the canonization cause of Bishop Fulton Sheen. Sheen, who hosted the national television show Life Is Worth Living in the 1950's, had served as bishop in Rochester and then in Peoria. Kruse claimed that Matano had provided the Vatican with documents that raised suspicions that Sheen had mishandled sexual abuse allegations against two priests in Rochester.^[8]

On August 31, 2021, Matano announced that his submission of a resignation letter to Francis in line with the mandatory retirement age of 75 for bishops.^[9]^[10] As of March 2024, the Vatican had not appointed his successor.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Bishop Salvatore R. Matano". Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. February 27, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Bishop Salvatore Ronald Matano [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
^ MasonDigital (January 23, 2014). "Tenure in Burlington brings key achievements". Catholic Courier. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
^ O'Connor, Kevin (December 18, 2008). "$3.6 million verdict in Vt. priest trial". Rutland Herald. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
^ "New Bishop of Rochester named". Catholic Courier. November 6, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
^ Lahman, Sean. "Bishop Matano expresses sorrow for victims of child sexual abuse in letter to parishioners". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
^ Wilcox, David. "'Families have to make sacrifices': Bishop hears Auburn crowd about church closures". Auburn Citizen. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
^ Vlahos, Nick. "Rochester diocese blocked Fulton Sheen beatification more than once, Peoria claims". Peoria Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
^ "Rochester Bishop Salvatore Matano to submit resignation as part of age rule". WHEC News10NBC. August 31, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
^ "Rochester Bishop Salvatore Matano submitting resignation to pope". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester Official Site

Episcopal succession

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Matthew H. Clark	Bishop of Rochester 2014–Present	Incumbent
Preceded by Kenneth Anthony Angell	Bishop of Burlington 2005–2014	Succeeded by Christopher J. Coyne

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester

Ordinaries

Bishops: Bernard John McQuaid; Thomas Francis Hickey; John Francis O'Hern; Edward Mooney; James E. Kearney; Fulton J. Sheen; Joseph Lloyd Hogan; Matthew H. Clark; Salvatore Ronald Matano

Coadjutor bishop: Thomas Francis Hickey

Auxiliary bishops: Lawrence B. Casey; John Edgar McCafferty; Dennis Walter Hickey

Churches

Cathedral: Sacred Heart Cathedral, Rochester

Parishes: Immaculate Conception Church, Rochester; Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church, Rochester; St. Charles Borromeo Church, Greece; St. Bridget's Roman Catholic Church Complex, Bloomfield; Saint George Roman Catholic Lithuanian Church, Rochester; St. Mary's Church, Rochester; Saint Michael's Church, Rochester; St. Rose Roman Catholic Church Complex, Lima

Former parishes: Our Mother of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church Complex, Greece; St. Joseph's Church and Rectory, Rochester

Education

Seminary: St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry, Pittsford

Former seminary: Saint Bernard's Seminary, Rochester

High schools: The Aquinas Institute of Rochester; Bishop Kearney High School, Irondequoit; McQuaid Jesuit High School, Brighton; Notre Dame High School, Elmira; Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women, Brighton

Former high schools: Academy of the Sacred Heart, Rochester; Cardinal Mooney High School, Greece; DeSales High School, Geneva; Holy Family High School, Auburn; Mount Carmel High School, Auburn; Nazareth Academy, Rochester; St. Agnes High School, Rochester; St. Anthony of Padua High School, Watkins Glen; St. Joseph's Business High School, Rochester

Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
Bishops	Louis de Goesbriand John Stephen Michaud Joseph John Rice Matthew Francis Brady Edward Francis Ryan Robert Francis Joyce John Aloysius Marshall Kenneth Anthony Angell Salvatore Ronald Matano Christopher J. Coyne
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Joseph Parishes St. Monica's Church, Barre Conversion of St. Paul Church, Barton St. Augustine Church, Montpelier St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Newport St. Peter's Church, Rutland St. Thomas Church, Underhill Saint Francis Xavier Church, Winooski Former parishes St. George's Church, Bakersfield Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Burlington
Education	Higher education Saint Michael's College Former colleges College of St. Joseph Trinity College High schools Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Rutland Rice Memorial High School, South Burlington Saint Michael Catholic School Brattleboro
Priests	Bernard Joseph Flanagan Louis Edward Gelineau
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence
Bishops	Ordinaries Thomas Francis Hendricken Matthew Harkins William A. Hickey Francis Patrick Keough Russell McVinney Louis Edward Gelineau Robert Edward Mulvee Thomas Joseph Tobin Richard Henning Auxiliaries Thomas Francis Doran Denis Matthew Lowney Thomas Francis Maloney Bernard Matthew Kelly Kenneth Anthony Angell Robert Joseph McManus Robert C. Evans
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence Cathedral Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul Parish churches St. Joseph Church, Central Falls St. Matthew's Church, Central Falls Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, Coventry St. Paul Church, Cranston St. Mary's Church, Crompton St. Joseph's Church, Cumberland St. Mary's Church, Newport St. John the Baptist Church, Pawtucket St. Mary's Church of the Immaculate Conception, Pawtucket Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Providence St. Adalbert's Church, Providence St. Joseph's Church, Providence St. Michael's Church, Providence St. Casimir Church, Warren Church of the Precious Blood, Woonsocket St. Ann's Church, Woonsocket St. Charles Borromeo Church, Woonsocket St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Woonsocket Former parish churches Holy Trinity Church, Central Falls Trinity Church, Pawtucket Immaculate Conception Church, Westerly
Education	Higher education Providence College Salve Regina University High schools Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick Bishop Keough Regional High School, Pawtucket La Salle Academy, Providence Mount Saint Charles Academy, Woonsocket Portsmouth Abbey School, Portsmouth Prout School, Wakefield St. Mary Academy – Bay View, East Providence St. Raphael Academy, Pawtucket Former high school Our Lady of Fatima High School, Warren
Hospitals	Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, Providence St. Joseph's Hospital, Providence
Priests	Ernest Bertrand Boland Austin Dowling Salvatore Ronald Matano Daniel Patrick Reilly Francis Xavier Roque William Stang
Catholicism portal