Lawrence T. Persico

His Excellency, The Most Reverend
Lawrence T. Persico
Bishop of Erie
Diocese Erie
Appointed July 31, 2012
Installed October 1, 2012
Predecessor Donald Walter Trautman
Orders
Ordination April 30, 1977
by William G. Connare
Consecration October 1, 2012
by Charles J. Chaput, Donald Walter Trautman, and Lawrence Eugene Brandt
Personal details
Born (1950-11-21) November 21, 1950
Monessen, Pennsylvania
Denomination Roman Catholic
Previous post Vicar General of the Diocese of Greensburg
Motto VERITAS IN CARITATE
Styles of
Lawrence T. Persico
Reference style
Spoken style Your Excellency
Religious style Bishop

Lawrence Thomas Persico (born November 21, 1950, Monessen, Pennsylvania[1]) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church serving as the tenth bishop of the Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania since 2012.

Biography

Early life and priestly ministry

Lawrence Persico was born November 21, 1950 in Monessen, Pennsylvania.[1][2] He attended St. Cajetan Elementary School.[2] In 1969 he graduated from St. Joseph Hall Minor Seminary (now St. Joseph Hall High School) in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.[2][1] He received his bachelor's degree from the St. Pius X Seminary in Erlanger, Kentucky.[2][1] He earned his M.Div from Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.[3][2]

Persico was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Greensburg on April 30, 1977.[3][1]

Persico served as parochial vicar of Immaculate Conception Parish in Irwin, Pennsylvania from 1977 to 1980.[3][2][1] In 1982, he received a J.C.L. degree in canon law at the Catholic University of America.[3][2][1] On his return to the diocese of Greensburg, Bishop William Connare appointed him assistant chancellor of Assumption Hall in Greensburg, where he served from 1983 to 1984.[1] Persico then served as vice-chancellor of the diocese from 1984 to 1989, and chancellor beginning in 1989.[2][1] During this time, he also served as chaplain to the Sisters of Charity in Greensburg.[2]

In 1998, Persico became pastor of Saint James Parish in New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, where he served until being named bishop in 2012.[3][1]

He served as moderator of the curia, and as the bishop's delegate for clergy sexual abuse.[3] In 2005, Bishop Lawrence Brandt made Persico vicar general of the diocese.[3][2][1] From 2006 to 2011, he served two terms as vice-president of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference.[3][2] He was named a monsignor in either 2005 or 2008.[3][2]

Episcopal career

On July 31, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI announced the appointment of bishop-elect Persico to the Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania.[3] He was consecrated on October 1, 2012 at the diocese's St. Peter Cathedral.[2][1] [4][3]

Response to sex abuse cases

In early 2016, a grand jury investigation, led by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, began an inquiry into sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in six Pennsylvania dioceses: Allentown, Scranton, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Erie.[5] The grand jury report was published on August 14, 2018.[6]

Bishop Persico was one of the few prelates to be praised in the grand jury report detailing clerical sexual abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses, for his cooperation with the grand jury investigation.[6] Shapiro stated, "Bishop Persico’s response to this crisis gives me hope. He was the only (bishop) to testify to the grand jury. He wanted to do the right thing. He did."[6]

In April 2018, before the report was released, the Diocese of Erie published a list of 34 priests and 17 laypeople who had been "credibly accused" of sexually abusing children.[7][8] By July, the list had grown to include 64 names.[9][10]

Persico acknowledged there had been a cover-up in the church.[6] After the report was released, Persico stated that he felt that the grand jury report should have included the names of accused laypeople who worked for the Erie Diocese as well.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Pope Name [sic] Greensburg, Pennsylvania Vicar General, Chancellor as Bishop of Erie". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website. July 31, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rodgers, Ann (July 31, 2012). "Pope selects Greensburg's Persico as bishop of the Diocese of Erie". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Pennsylvania diocese thrilled with new bishop appointment". Catholic News Agency. July 31, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 3, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  5. ↑ Couloumbis, Angela (June 17, 2018). "Pa. report to document child sexual abuse, cover-ups in six Catholic dioceses". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Melissa Klaric (August 14, 2018). "'Put victims first': Erie bishop, praised by AG, denounces cover-ups in church". The Tribune-Democrat. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  7. ↑ Teresa Bonner (April 6, 2018). "Diocese publishes list of priests, lay people accused of abuse". PennLive.com. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  8. ↑ Ivey DeJesus (April 6, 2018). "Catholic bishop explains why he released names of predatory priests; confident none remain in ministry". PennLive.com. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Erie Diocese Releases Names Of Accused Priests, Educators While Grand Jury Report Remains On Hold". KDKA-TV. July 19, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  10. 1 2 Palattella, Ed (August 17, 2018). "Persico: Grand jury should have named laypeople". Erie Times-News. Retrieved August 17, 2018.

Episcopal succession

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Donald Walter Trautman		 Bishop of Erie
2012–present		 Incumbent
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