HARTFORD, Conn. — Pope Francis has appointed a new archbishop for the Archdiocese of Hartford to take over next year.
The Most Rev. Leonard Blair will be retiring in 2024 at the age of 75, in accordance with church law.
Pope Francis has named the Most Rev. Christopher J. Coyne as Blair's successor. Coyne is currently serving as Bishop of Burlington, Vt. and has been in that position since 2015.
Coyne is getting ready to spend the next several months learning his new home and the Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Hartford, which spans Hartford, New Haven, and Litchfield counties and oversees about half-a-million Catholics.
He hopes to encourage more people to join or return to the church.
"We have so much to offer to a culture that is divided and angry, hurting...," said Coyne.
Coyne will be a Coadjutor Archbishop, meaning he has already been appointed and will automatically succeed Blair when he retires next year.
Before he officially takes the title, Coyne will be out in the community, focusing on solving the biggest problem he says is hitting the Catholic community right now.
"The biggest sadness–and this is a challenge for all of us–is the exit of so many people and families and Catholics," said Coyne. "That has to be our number one focus, is to just try and encourage people to come."
Current Archbishop Blair has been serving in the Archdiocese of Hartford since 2013 and has been friends with Coyne for the last 11 years.
Coyne will take up residence in the Archdiocese with a Mass of Welcome to be celebrated at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph, Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Hartford, on Monday, October 9, at 2 p.m.
Lindsey Kane is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at Lkane@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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