San Francisco auxiliary bishop to head Salt Lake City Diocese

Published: 2007-01-08

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Auxiliary Bishop John C. Wester of San Francisco has been named the new head of the Diocese of Salt Lake City by Pope Benedict XVI. Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, announced the appointment Jan. 8 in Washington. Bishop Wester, 56, is to be installed in Salt Lake City March 14 in ceremonies at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. At a news conference in Salt Lake City, he said, "I look forward to forging friendships with you and all our sisters and brothers in Christ in the years ahead. I am definitely the 'new kid on the block,'" he added. "I have a lot to learn and I therefore must be an attentive listener to you, the priests and deacons, religious and faithful." He also addressed the news media briefly in Spanish, noting that many of the Catholics in Utah are Spanish-speaking.

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