At 6 AM local time (noon in Rome) today, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Leonard P. Blair upon reaching the retirement age of 75. At the same time, the Most Reverend Christopher J. Coyne immediately assumed office as sixth Archbishop and 14th Bishop of Hartford.
A Mass to mark the inauguration of his ministry will be held on Sunday, May 5th at 11 AM, as the Archbishop takes possession of the Cathedral of St. Joseph, the mother church of the Archdiocese.
Upon his succession as chief shepherd of the Archdiocese, Archbishop Coyne said, “After a year of listening and learning the joys and the hopes, the griefs and anxieties of God’s People here in Hartford, I am excited to set out with you on this new stage of our journey together as Church. As I ask the prayers of all people of good will that our work might bear abundant fruit, I pledge to you that I will strive everyday to be a faithful image of the Good Shepherd, who welcomes the lost and protects those who struggle. Today, Jesus calls us to be ‘a Church that goes out’ to the changing world around us, and I invite my new family of faith to join me in meeting this moment with a renewed energy for our mission to bring Christ’s light, peace, and hope to our families, our neighbors, and everyone in this place we call home.”
As Metropolitan Archbishop, Archbishop Coyne oversees the Ecclesiastical Province of Hartford, which comprises all of Connecticut and Rhode Island, encompassing the Dioceses of Bridgeport, Norwich, and Providence. On June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, he will receive the Pallium, an ancient symbol of the Archbishop’s office, from Pope Francis at a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Pallium will be conferred on Archbishop Coyne by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio (papal ambassador) to the United States, at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford on Monday, October 14, 2024.
The Archdiocese of Hartford serves approximately 469,000 Catholics in 115 parishes and 36 schools across Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven Counties. Established as a diocese in 1843 by Pope Gregory XVI, the local church was elevated as an Archdiocese in 1941 by Pope Pius XII.
Biography
Archbishop Coyne is an uncle to 11 nieces and nephews. Through the gift of his extended family, he’s additionally blessed with the love and goodness of many aunts, uncles and cousins. A product of public education in his hometown, Archbishop Coyne graduated from Woburn High School in 1976, while working through both high school and college as a dishwasher, sporting goods salesman, lifeguard and musician. After college he worked full time as a bartender for two years before entering the seminary. Archbishop Coyne is a lifelong Patriots, Celtics and Bruins fan, a Maine beach bum and hopes to return soon as an avid skier and golfer.
Ministry as Archbishop
• Coadjutor Archbishop of Hartford (June 2023 –)
Ministry as Bishop
• Titular bishop of Mopta and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (January 2011 – December 2014)
• Apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (September 2011 – December 2012)
• Vicar general of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (March 2011 – December 2014)
• Bishop for the southern region of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (October 2014 – December 2014)
• Bishop of Burlington (December 2014 – October 2023) National Offices (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
• Chairman of USCCB Communications (elected November 2014; term 2015 – 2018)
• Member of USCCB Evangelization and Catechesis Committee (2012 – 2017)
• Member of USCCB Committee on Divine Worship (2017 – present)
Ministry as Priest
• Ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Boston (June 1986)
• Parochial Vicar, St. Mary of the Hills, Milton, Massachusetts (1986 – 1989)
• Professor of Sacred Liturgy and Homiletics, St. John’s Seminary, Brighton (1994 – 2003); adjunct faculty (2003 – 2006)
• Director of the Office of Worship, Archdiocese of Boston (2000 – 2002)
• Secretary for communications/principal spokesman, Archdiocese of Boston (2002 – 2005)
• Pastor, Our Lady Help of Christians, Newton, Massachusetts (2005)
• Pastor, St. Margaret Mary Parish, Westwood, Massachusetts (2006 – 2011)
Education
• Attended Woburn public schools; graduated from Woburn High School (1976)
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Lowell (1980)
• Master of Divinity, St. John’s Seminary, Boston (1986)
• Licentiate (1992) and Doctorate (1994) in Sacred Liturgy; Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo, Rome
Awards
• Nominated for a regional Emmy award (2002) for 13-part television series,“Sacred Space” (aired on CatholicTV)
• Winner of both a judged Telly and People’s Telly Award for the internet series “Everything You Wanted to Know About Catholic Liturgy” (2014)
Archbishop Blair Addresses the Faithful of the Archdiocese of Hartford