Joseph Bambera
Encyclopedia
Joseph Charles Bambera (born March 21, 1956) is an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the tenth and current Bishop of Scranton
, serving since April 26, 2010.
, Pennsylvania
, to Joseph and Irene (née Kucharski) Bambera. One of two children, he has a sister, Karen. He attended St. Rose of Lima Elementary School and graduated from St. Rose of Lima High School in 1974. Following graduation, he entered the University of Pittsburgh
and earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Art History in 1978.
He then began his studies for the priesthood
, attending the University of Scranton
and St. Pius X Seminary in Dalton
. He continued his studies at Mary Immaculate Seminary in Northampton
, where he earned a Master of Divinity
degree in 1982. He was ordained
to the diaconate
by Bishop J. Carroll McCormick
on May 14, 1983, and to the priesthood by Bishop John J. O'Connor on November 5, 1983.
at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Scranton
, where he remained for four years.
In 1987, he was transferred to the St. Peter's Cathedral and also served as audit
or on the diocesan tribunal, spiritual director
of the Legion of Mary
, campus minister at Lackawanna College
, and diocesan director of pilgrimages
. In 1989, he was sent to further his studies in canon law
at St. Paul's University
in Ottawa
, Canada
. He earned a Licentiate of Canon Law
from St. Paul's in 1991.
Upon his return to Scranton, Bambera was appointed a judge on the diocesan tribunal. He was later named diocesan director of ecumenism
and interfaith
affairs in 1993, and vicar for priests in 1995. He served as pastor
of the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Scranton (1994–1997), of the Church of St. John Bosco in Conyngham
(1998–2001), and of the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dickson City
(2001–2007). He was made a Prelate of Honour
by Pope John Paul II
in 1997, and became episcopal vicar
for the Central Region of the diocese in 2005. In July 2007, he was named pastor of both the Church of St. Thomas Aquinas in Archbald
and the Church of St. Mary of Czestochowa in Eynon. He was also appointed canonical consultant for Pastoral Planning for the diocese at that time.
He was elected chairman of the diocesan presbyteral council
in 2000, and re-elected in 2002. He also served as president of the Board of Pastors at Bishop Hafey High School
and Bishop O'Hara High School
, and as defender of the bond
for the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn. He was a member of the Board of Trustee
s of the University of Scranton from 2003 to 2009, and was named a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Michael's School in Hoban Heights in 2004.
On August 31, 2009, Bambera was chosen to serve as delegate to Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali, who was the apostolic administrator
of the diocese following the resignation of Bishop Joseph Francis Martino
. In this position, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the diocese during the sede vacante
.
by Pope Benedict XVI
.
Following the appointment, he stated,
His episcopal
consecration
and installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Peter on April 26.
As Bishop, Bambera serves as the spiritual leader of the 350,000 Catholics in Northeastern Pennsylvania
. The Diocese of Scranton currently faces "formidable challenges" on personnel and financial matters.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He is the tenth and current Bishop of Scranton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, of which St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is the mother church, consists of 11 counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States....
, serving since April 26, 2010.
Early life and education
Joseph Bambera was born in CarbondaleCarbondale, Pennsylvania
Carbondale is a city in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carbondale is located approximately 15 miles due northeast of the city of Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, to Joseph and Irene (née Kucharski) Bambera. One of two children, he has a sister, Karen. He attended St. Rose of Lima Elementary School and graduated from St. Rose of Lima High School in 1974. Following graduation, he entered the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
and earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Art History in 1978.
He then began his studies for the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
, attending the University of Scranton
University of Scranton
The University of Scranton is a private, co-educational Catholic and Jesuit university, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the northeast region of the state. The school was founded in 1888 by Most Rev. William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. It was elevated to a...
and St. Pius X Seminary in Dalton
Dalton, Pennsylvania
Dalton is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is located approximately 8 miles north of the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania in a growing suburban area known as the "Abingtons." Dalton is also approximately 3 miles north of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, the hub of the Abington...
. He continued his studies at Mary Immaculate Seminary in Northampton
Northampton, Pennsylvania
Northampton is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The borough is located in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania...
, where he earned a Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degree in 1982. He was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the diaconate
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
by Bishop J. Carroll McCormick
Joseph Carroll McCormick
Joseph Carroll McCormick was a Roman Catholic bishop.He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook and the Pontifical Roman Seminary in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood by his uncle, Cardinal Dennis Joseph Dougherty, on July 10, 1932...
on May 14, 1983, and to the priesthood by Bishop John J. O'Connor on November 5, 1983.
Priestly ministry
Bambera's first assignment was as an assistant pastorAssistant pastor
An assistant pastor is a person who assists the pastor in a Christian church. The qualifications, responsibilities and duties vary depending on church and denomination....
at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, where he remained for four years.
In 1987, he was transferred to the St. Peter's Cathedral and also served as audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
or on the diocesan tribunal, spiritual director
Spiritual direction
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of his or her encounters of the divine, or how he or she is experiencing...
of the Legion of Mary
Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary is an association of Catholic laity who serve the Church on a voluntary basis. It was founded in Dublin, Ireland, as a Roman Catholic Marian Movement by layman Frank Duff. Today between active and auxiliary members there are in excess of 10 million members worldwide making it...
, campus minister at Lackawanna College
Lackawanna College
Lackawanna College is a college in Scranton, Pennsylvania with satellite centers in the towns of Hazleton, Hawley, Towanda, and New Milford....
, and diocesan director of pilgrimages
Christian pilgrimage
Christian pilgrimage was first made to sites connected with the ministry of Jesus. Surviving descriptions of Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Jerusalem date from the 4th century, when pilgrimage was encouraged by church fathers like Saint Jerome and established by Helena, the mother of...
. In 1989, he was sent to further his studies in canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
at St. Paul's University
Saint Paul University
Saint Paul University is a Catholic Pontifical university federated with the University of Ottawa. It is located on Main Street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and has been entrusted for more than a century to the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He earned a Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law...
from St. Paul's in 1991.
Upon his return to Scranton, Bambera was appointed a judge on the diocesan tribunal. He was later named diocesan director of ecumenism
Catholic Church and ecumenism
The Catholic Church has been heavily involved in the ecumenical movement since the Second Vatican Council .- Before the Second Vatican Council :...
and interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
affairs in 1993, and vicar for priests in 1995. He served as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus in Scranton (1994–1997), of the Church of St. John Bosco in Conyngham
Conyngham, Pennsylvania
Conyngham is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,958 at the 2000 census.- History :The Lehigh-Susquehanna Turnpike traveled through the middle of modern-day Main Street in Conyngham and at least one of the tollgates was situated near the village...
(1998–2001), and of the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dickson City
Dickson City, Pennsylvania
Dickson City is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, north of Scranton. Coal mining had been an important industry in the past. Some of the population totals follow: in 1900, 4,948; in 1910, 9,331; in 1920, 11,049; and in 1940, 11,548...
(2001–2007). He was made a Prelate of Honour
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in 1997, and became episcopal vicar
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
for the Central Region of the diocese in 2005. In July 2007, he was named pastor of both the Church of St. Thomas Aquinas in Archbald
Archbald, Pennsylvania
Archbald is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is named for James Archbald, who was the first mayor of Carbondale, Pennsylvania. Before being re-named in Mr. Archbald's honor, the name of the settlement was White Oak Run. The vast majority of the settlers were Irish...
and the Church of St. Mary of Czestochowa in Eynon. He was also appointed canonical consultant for Pastoral Planning for the diocese at that time.
He was elected chairman of the diocesan presbyteral council
Presbyteral Council
The Presbyteral Council or Council of Priests is a group of priests chosen to assist the local ordinary in an advisory capacity in the governance of the diocese. Canon 495 of the Code of Canon Law lays down that every diocese must have such a council...
in 2000, and re-elected in 2002. He also served as president of the Board of Pastors at Bishop Hafey High School
Bishop Hafey High School
Bishop Hafey High School was a Roman Catholic high school of the Diocese of Scranton, located in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. By the order of Bishop Joseph F. Martino, the high school was closed in June of 2007....
and Bishop O'Hara High School
Holy Cross High School (Pennsylvania)
Holy Cross High School is a Roman Catholic secondary school located in Dunmore, Pennsylvania. It operates under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, and is the second largest of four diocesan high schools in Northeastern Pennsylvania...
, and as defender of the bond
Defender of the Matrimonial Tie
The Defender of the Bond, or Defensor Matrimonii in Latin, is a Catholic church official whose duty is to defend the marriage-bond in the procedure prescribed for the hearing of matrimonial causes which involve the validity or nullity of a marriage already contracted.Benedict XIV, by his Bull "Dei...
for the Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn. He was a member of the Board of Trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
s of the University of Scranton from 2003 to 2009, and was named a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Michael's School in Hoban Heights in 2004.
On August 31, 2009, Bambera was chosen to serve as delegate to Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali, who was the apostolic administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of the diocese following the resignation of Bishop Joseph Francis Martino
Joseph Francis Martino
Joseph Francis Martino is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and the Retired Bishop of Scranton. He served as bishop of Scranton until his resignation was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI on 31 August 2009....
. In this position, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the diocese during the sede vacante
Sede vacante
Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
.
Episcopal ministry
On February 23, 2010, Bambera was appointed the bishop of ScrantonRoman Catholic Diocese of Scranton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, of which St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is the mother church, consists of 11 counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States....
by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
.
Following the appointment, he stated,
His episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
and installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Peter on April 26.
As Bishop, Bambera serves as the spiritual leader of the 350,000 Catholics in Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....
. The Diocese of Scranton currently faces "formidable challenges" on personnel and financial matters.