Joseph R. Cistone
Encyclopedia
Joseph Robert Cistone is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the sixth and current Bishop of Saginaw
.
, Pennsylvania
, to Daniel A. and Josephine R. (née Altomare) Cistone, Sr. One of three children, he has two brothers, Daniel and Anthony. He attended Our Lady of Consolation School and graduated from Father Judge High School
in 1967. He then studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
, from where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy
(1971) and Master's in Divinity
(1975).
to the priesthood
by John Cardinal Krol on May 17, 1975. He then served as parochial vicar
at Epiphany of Our Lord Parish (1975-1979) and chaplain
at St. Maria Goretti High School
(1977-1979) in Philadelphia. He became parochial vicar at St. Jerome Parish in 1979, and advocate on the metropolitan tribunal
in 1980.
From 1982 to 1987, Cistone served as parochial vicar at St. Jude Parish in Chalfont
, member of the admissions board for the Archdiocesan Permanent Diaconate
Program, and Newman Chaplain at Delaware Valley College of Science. He was also Defender of the Bond on the metropolitan tribunal (1983-1989), and parochial vicar at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Norristown
(1987-1989) and St. Bernard Parish in Philadelphia (1989-1991). In 1991, he became Dean
of Formation for the Theology
Division of St. Charles Seminary.
Cistone was named associate to Msgr. Edward Cullen
, vicar for administration
of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
, in 1993. He later served as assistant vicar for administration from 1994 to 1998, and vicar general
and vicar for administration from 1998 to 2009. He was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness
in April 1998.
of Philadelphia and Titular Bishop
of Casae Medianae by Pope John Paul II
. Cistone received his episcopal consecration
on the following July 28 from Justin Cardinal Rigali, with Bishops Robert Maginnis
and Michael Burbidge serving as co-consecrators
, in the Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul
. He selected as his episcopal motto: "Father of Mercy and Love."
In addition to his duties as vicar general and vicar for administration, Cistone served as head of the Secretariat for Catholic Human Services and the Secretariat for Temporal Services. He also had pastoral oversight for parishes
in South Philadelphia
and a portion of Delaware County
.
, Michigan
, by Pope Benedict XVI
on May 20, 2009. He succeeded Robert J. Carlson
(who was appointed Archbishop of St. Louis the previous April), and was installed
on July 28, 2009. As Bishop, he serves as the spiritual leader for 120,000 Catholics in Central Michigan
.
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
, Cistone currently sits on the Committee for Protection of Children and Young People, Committee for Cultural Diversity in the Church, Subcommittee for African-American Affairs, and Committee on Budget and Finance.
A week after being named to lead the Diocese of Saginaw, Cistone was asked by a mid-Michigan newspaper reporter about the grand jury investigation and his reported role in covering up instances of sexual abuse. Cistone expressed unhappiness with how little opportunity he had been given to respond to the report, saying, "Unfortunately, the grand jury procedure, as followed in Philadelphia, did not allow for any opportunity to address such questions to offer explanation or clarification." Cistone also expressed surprise that he had not been questioned about the grand jury report during his introductory press conference and told the reporter, "Had it come up, I certainly would have addressed it." However, when given the opportunity to answer questions about his actions by the newspaper reporter, Cistone refused to answer specific questions on the matter.
On June 9, 2009, a group of survivors of clergy abuse protested Cistone's appointment outside the Saginaw Diocese office. Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) demanded that Cistone hold a public forum to explain his actions as described in the 2005 grand jury report. SNAP President Barbara Blaine
said the actions had to be taken because, "the innocence of children was shattered needlessly because of the action and inaction of this bishop." In response to the group's calls for transparency, Cistone said, "If someone wants to go back and rehash what the church may have done based on knowledge and experience or lack of experience the church had, well, that's OK, but that's not productive. What's productive is what we can do to move forward."
On August 31, 2009, representatives of SNAP invited Bishop Cistone to attend a town hall meeting and participate in a discussion on the topic of clergy abuse. The town hall meeting was scheduled to be held on October 25, 2009. The group asked Bishop Cistone to disclose the whereabouts of two priests accused of sexual abuse.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
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 sixth and current Bishop of Saginaw
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is a Roman Catholic diocese covering eleven counties in Michigan. It was founded on February 26, 1938; the first bishop was William Francis Murphy....
.
Early life and education
Joseph Cistone was born in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, 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 Daniel A. and Josephine R. (née Altomare) Cistone, Sr. One of three children, he has two brothers, Daniel and Anthony. He attended Our Lady of Consolation School and graduated from Father Judge High School
Father Judge High School
Father Judge High School is a Roman Catholic high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was established in 1954 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia and is run by the Oblates of St...
in 1967. He then studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is the seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Named for Charles Borromeo, it is located in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania,...
, from where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy
Bachelor of Philosophy
Bachelor of Philosophy is the title of an academic degree. The degree usually involves considerable research, either through a thesis or supervised research projects...
(1971) and Master's in 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...
(1975).
Priesthood
Cistone was ordainedHoly 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 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....
by John Cardinal Krol on May 17, 1975. He then served as parochial vicar
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at Epiphany of Our Lord Parish (1975-1979) and chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at St. Maria Goretti High School
Saint Maria Goretti High School (Pennsylvania)
Saint Maria Goretti High School was an all-female Roman Catholic high school located at 1736 South Tenth Street in the South Philadelphia area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
(1977-1979) in Philadelphia. He became parochial vicar at St. Jerome Parish in 1979, and advocate on the metropolitan tribunal
Ecclesiastical court
An ecclesiastical court is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages in many areas of Europe these courts had much wider powers than before the development of nation states...
in 1980.
From 1982 to 1987, Cistone served as parochial vicar at St. Jude Parish in Chalfont
Chalfont, Pennsylvania
Chalfont is a home rule municipality located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,009 at the 2010 census.Chalfont is named after Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, England...
, member of the admissions board for the Archdiocesan Permanent 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...
Program, and Newman Chaplain at Delaware Valley College of Science. He was also Defender of the Bond on the metropolitan tribunal (1983-1989), and parochial vicar at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Norristown
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
(1987-1989) and St. Bernard Parish in Philadelphia (1989-1991). In 1991, he became Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of Formation for the Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
Division of St. Charles Seminary.
Cistone was named associate to Msgr. Edward Cullen
Edward Peter Cullen
Edward Peter Cullen is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the third Bishop of Allentown. His resignation was accepted on 27 May 2009 by Pope Benedict. . At the same time, Pope Benedict named Msgr...
, vicar for administration
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...
of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
, in 1993. He later served as assistant vicar for administration from 1994 to 1998, and vicar general
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...
and vicar for administration from 1998 to 2009. He was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness
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"...
in April 1998.
Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia
On June 28, 2004, Cistone was appointed an Auxiliary BishopAuxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Philadelphia and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Casae Medianae 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 ...
. Cistone received his episcopal consecration
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....
on the following July 28 from Justin Cardinal Rigali, with Bishops Robert Maginnis
Robert P. Maginnis
Robert Patrick Maginnis is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1996 to 2010.-Early life and education:...
and Michael Burbidge serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, in the Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul
Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul
The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, head church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is located at 18th Street & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on the east side of Logan Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the largest Catholic church in Pennsylvania and listed on...
. He selected as his episcopal motto: "Father of Mercy and Love."
In addition to his duties as vicar general and vicar for administration, Cistone served as head of the Secretariat for Catholic Human Services and the Secretariat for Temporal Services. He also had pastoral oversight for parishes
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
in South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
and a portion of Delaware County
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
.
Bishop of Saginaw
Cistone was later named the sixth Bishop of SaginawRoman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is a Roman Catholic diocese covering eleven counties in Michigan. It was founded on February 26, 1938; the first bishop was William Francis Murphy....
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 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...
on May 20, 2009. He succeeded Robert J. Carlson
Robert James Carlson
Robert James Carlson is an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the ninth and current Archbishop of St. Louis. He previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of St...
(who was appointed Archbishop of St. Louis the previous April), and was installed
Enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. This ritual is generally distinguished from a coronation because there is no crown or other regalia that is physically...
on July 28, 2009. As Bishop, he serves as the spiritual leader for 120,000 Catholics in Central Michigan
Central Michigan
Central Michigan, often called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Southern Michigan can be considered as a subregion of Central Michigan. As its name implies, it is the central area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and...
.
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
, Cistone currently sits on the Committee for Protection of Children and Young People, Committee for Cultural Diversity in the Church, Subcommittee for African-American Affairs, and Committee on Budget and Finance.
Grand Jury Report
According to a 2005 grand jury investigation into clergy sexual abuse, while serving as assistant vicar for administration in 1996, Cistone was involved with silencing a nun who tried to alert parishioners at St. Gabriel parish about abuse by a priest.A week after being named to lead the Diocese of Saginaw, Cistone was asked by a mid-Michigan newspaper reporter about the grand jury investigation and his reported role in covering up instances of sexual abuse. Cistone expressed unhappiness with how little opportunity he had been given to respond to the report, saying, "Unfortunately, the grand jury procedure, as followed in Philadelphia, did not allow for any opportunity to address such questions to offer explanation or clarification." Cistone also expressed surprise that he had not been questioned about the grand jury report during his introductory press conference and told the reporter, "Had it come up, I certainly would have addressed it." However, when given the opportunity to answer questions about his actions by the newspaper reporter, Cistone refused to answer specific questions on the matter.
On June 9, 2009, a group of survivors of clergy abuse protested Cistone's appointment outside the Saginaw Diocese office. Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) demanded that Cistone hold a public forum to explain his actions as described in the 2005 grand jury report. SNAP President Barbara Blaine
Barbara Blaine
Barbara Blaine is the founder and president of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests , a national advocacy group for survivors of clerical sexual abuse. She alleges that she was sexually abused during her teenage years from junior high school until graduation by a priest. She revealed this...
said the actions had to be taken because, "the innocence of children was shattered needlessly because of the action and inaction of this bishop." In response to the group's calls for transparency, Cistone said, "If someone wants to go back and rehash what the church may have done based on knowledge and experience or lack of experience the church had, well, that's OK, but that's not productive. What's productive is what we can do to move forward."
On August 31, 2009, representatives of SNAP invited Bishop Cistone to attend a town hall meeting and participate in a discussion on the topic of clergy abuse. The town hall meeting was scheduled to be held on October 25, 2009. The group asked Bishop Cistone to disclose the whereabouts of two priests accused of sexual abuse.