The Bishop of Rochester

This past January 7th, 2026, Pope Leo XIV, accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Salvatore R. Matano, the Nineth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, and appointed the Most Reverend John S. Bonnici as the Tenth Bishop of our Diocese.

I would like to first express our gratitude to Bishop Matano for all these years serving our Diocese. He was installed as our Bishop on January 3rd, 2014. Bishop Matano succeeded Bishop Matthew H. Clark and since his installation as our Bishop, he has been working to proclaim the Gospel, administrating to the Diocese, leading us through COVID and working very hard with the sexual abuse cases, which the process ended on September 5th, 2025. Bishop Matano will continue to be our Bishop until the installation of Bishop Bonnici. Meanwhile, if you see Bishop Matano, please express your gratitude for all the wonderful work that he has been doing in our Diocese of Rochester.

Secondly, even though Bishop Bonnici is not yet installed as our new bishop, I would like to express a warm welcoming to our Diocese. He will be installed as the Tenth Bishop of Rochester on March 19th, 2026, on the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Bishop Bonnici was born in New York City, was ordained as a priest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan on June 22, 1991, and was ordained as a Bishop on March 1st, 2022. Bishop Bonnici will work for our Diocese, proclaiming the Gospel and being a pastor to all of us. Let us pray for Bishop Bonnici so that he can always show God’s face to all people and work hard for our Roman Catholic Church.

Let us pray for our bishops:

O God, who has appointed Thine only begotten Son to be the eternal High Priest for the glory of Thy Majesty and the salvation of mankind; grant that they whom He hath chosen to be His ministers and the stewards of His mysteries, may be found faithful in the fulfillment of the ministry which they have received. Through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!
God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez