GATES — Bishop John S. Bonnici, currently an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York, has been named by Pope Leo XIV as the 10th bishop of the Diocese of Rochester. His installation is scheduled for March 19, 2026, on the feast of St. Joseph.

He will succeed Bishop Salvatore R. Matano, whose resignation has been accepted by Pope Leo. Bishop Matano, 79, has led the Rochester Diocese since 2014. Bishop Matano is serving as diocesan apostolic administrator until Bishop Bonnici’s installation.

Bishop Bonnici’s appointment and Bishop Matano’s resignation were announced Jan. 7 by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

“Without hesitation, I can say you have received a great gift, an outstanding bishop and shepherd,” Bishop Matano said during a press conference later on Jan. 7 at the diocesan Pastoral Center, during which Bishop Bonnici was introduced.

Immediately following the late-morning press conference, the two bishops traveled to Rochester’s Sacred Heart Cathedral. There, Bishop Matano served as principal celebrant at the 12:10 p.m. Mass, and Bishop Bonnici was among the concelebrants. Bishop Bonnici and Bishop Matano remained in the cathedral’s narthex for several minutes after Mass, greeting well-wishers.

Bishop Bonnici is an ‘excellent selection’

Bishop Bonnici, who will turn 61 on Feb. 17, is a native of New York City. He was ordained a priest June 22, 1991 — the feast day of St. John Fisher, patron saint of the Diocese of Rochester, he observed during the press conference.

“Who knew I would ultimately end up in this diocese?” Bishop Bonnici remarked.

During his priestly tenure, Bishop Bonnici has served as a pastor and theology professor, as well as director of the archdiocesan Office of Family Life/Respect Life from 1996-2002. Along with his role as an archdiocesan auxiliary bishop — which he has held since 2022 — he is pastor of Ss. John and Paul and St. Augustine parishes in Larchmont, a suburb of New York City.

Bishop Bonnici — whose episcopal motto is “To Jesus Through Mary” — will become only the third Bishop of Rochester in the past 47 years, following the late Bishop Matthew H. Clark (1979-2012) and Bishop Matano. He noted that he has passed by Rochester many times while traveling to visit family in Toronto, yet he is otherwise new to the city and the diocese.

“You have already made me feel very much at home,” he remarked at the press conference. He said that upon receiving news of his appointment, “I humbly and happily accepted with an open heart and desire to serve.”

“I’m looking forward, very much, to becoming a true resident of this great place,” he added.

“The Most Reverend John Bonnici has been a faithful priest, beloved pastor, trusted auxiliary bishop, wise counselor, and good friend during the nearly 17 years that I have been privileged to serve as Archbishop of New York,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan, currently the apostolic administrator of the New York Archdiocese, said in a statement. “Pope Leo has chosen well in appointing him to serve as the Bishop of Rochester! While we will sure miss him here in the Archdiocese of New York, we are grateful that one of our neighboring dioceses will now experience his pastoral love.”

“The Holy Father has made an excellent selection,” Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, added in a statement. “Bishop Bonnici is a wonderful priest and bishop, with a pastor’s heart and a sharp intellect. The Catholic faithful of Rochester will love their new shepherd, I am certain.”

Bishop Bonnici says that Bishop Matano is a ‘hard act to follow’

Bishop Bonnici’s appointment will mark the end of a 12-year tenure for Bishop Matano in leading the Rochester Diocese.

Bishop Matano, a Providence, R.I., native, was announced by the late Pope Francis as Rochester’s bishop-designate on Nov. 6, 2013. He was installed at a Mass at Rochester’s Sacred Heart Cathedral on Jan. 3, 2014. Previously, Bishop Matano had led the Diocese of Burlington, Vt., since 2005.

Upon his 75th birthday on Sept. 15, 2021, Bishop Matano submitted his resignation letter to Pope Francis as required by church law. That letter was not accepted until the Jan. 7 announcement of Bishop Bonnici’s appointment as his successor.

During the press conference, Bishop Bonnici described Bishop Matano as “an incredibly hard act to follow.” Meanwhile, Cardinal Dolan, in a statement, referred to Bishop Matano as “an outstanding shepherd of the Diocese of Rochester these past 12 years.”

“I have admired his goodness, pastoral leadership, and sage advice, and know that he will be a valuable source of wisdom for Bishop Bonnici,” added Cardinal Dolan — who will retire Feb. 6 upon the installation of Bishop Ronald Hicks as the New York Archdiocese’s archbishop.

“His love for and fidelity to the church has always inspired me, as has his brilliant mind and gentle nature,” Poust said of Bishop Matano in a statement. “He has shepherded the Rochester Diocese through difficult years, but he leaves his successor with a strong and vibrant local Church thanks to his faithful stewardship.”

Bishop Matano noted that upon his transition to emeritus status, he will continue to reside in the Rochester Diocese.