HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TENURE OF ARCHBISHOP-DESIGNATE DONALD W. WUERL

Archbishop-designate Wuerl has been responsible for the leadership of the Catholic community of the six-county Diocese of Pittsburgh for 18 years. The following are a selection of the highlights of Bishop Wuerl’s tenure.

Education

• As bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh for 18 years, Archbishop-designate Wuerl became known early as the “education bishop.”
• Archbishop-designate Wuerl has hosted the award-winning “The Teaching of Christ” television program for 17 years. The weekly catechetical program applies the Catholic faith to contemporary life.
• Catholic education flourished under Archbishop-designate Wuerl’s leadership in the Diocese of Pittsburgh with more than 80,000 students enrolled in Catholic schools and religious education programs throughout the diocese.
• In 1990 the diocese was the first in the nation to have all of its schools accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
• Archbishop-designate Wuerl has been in the forefront of finding new and innovative ways to finance Catholic education, making it affordable and accessible to all. In 1994, the financial policies for Catholic schools in the Diocese were revitalized. The Bishop’s Education Fund was founded in 1995 for parents of Catholic school students and has distributed nearly $5 million in tuition assistance to over 23,000 students.
• The Extra Mile Foundation, founded in 1990, sustains parochial schools in the inner city for the education of urban at-risk youth. Since its establishment by Bishop Wuerl, the Extra Mile Foundation has distributed $23.6 million in support of these schools.
• The Crossroads Scholarship Program, in its seventeenth year, assists graduates from the Extra Mile Foundation Schools to attend Catholic secondary schools. Over $4,250,000 has been distributed in aid.
• The Scholastic Opportunity Scholarship Fund, which allows local businesses to use Pennsylvania’s tax credit legislation to support needy families who choose a Catholic school for their children, has distributed $7.8 million to nearly 26,000 students in the four years since the Diocese of Pittsburgh established the vehicle.
• The diocese’s Department for Persons with Disabilities has developed an award-winning curriculum used nationwide and the Saint Anthony Programs has pioneered a model of inclusive education for persons with mental retardation and autism from kindergarten through college – the only program of its kind in the nation.

Ecumenical and Interfaith

• Ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue was also a hallmark of the nearly two decades of Archbishop-designate Wuerl’s ministry in Pittsburgh. Under Archbishop-designate Wuerl’s direction, the Diocese of Pittsburgh is a key member of the Christian Associates, a 10 countywide, long-standing ecumenical organization.
• The Christian Leaders Fellowship was initiated by Archbishop-designate Wuerl and other Christian leaders of the Pittsburgh area to coordinate ecumenical activities.
• Archbishop-designate Wuerl was strongly involved in The Religious Leadership Forum, which engages Jewish, Christian and Muslim leadership in interfaith dialogue.
• In 1996, Archbishop-designate Wuerl and the Episcopal and Lutheran Bishop signed, “Call to Covenant,” a historic pact of cooperation among their members. In October 1998, a joint Catholic-Lutheran vesper service was held to celebrate the two faiths’ joint declaration on the doctrine of justification.
• In December 1999, Archbishop-designate Wuerl presided at a prayer service and blessing in downtown Pittsburgh for the world’s only replica of the Vatican crèche. Sponsored by the Christian Leaders Fellowship, the life-sized crèche is now a traditional part of Pittsburgh’s Christmas celebration.
• In January 2004 Archbishop-designate Wuerl joined Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders at a performance of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Heinz Hall, honoring the 25th anniversary of John Paul II’s papacy. Archbishop-designate Wuerl and representatives of the ecumenical and interfaith community also went on to attend the symphony performance before the Holy Father at the Vatican on January 17.

Social

• Pastoral concern for those in the diocese has always been an essential part of Archbishop-designate Wuerl’s ministry. With the extensive work of Catholic Charities and social service organizations throughout the diocese, over 90,000 people are served each year by Church-related ministries.
• Whether in the aftermath of flooding from Hurricane Ivan locally, to the national disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the international tragedy of the tsunami that struck in December 2004, Archbishop-designate Wuerl began fundraising efforts that contributed millions to those in need locally, national and internationally.
• Archbishop-designate Wuerl had extensive involvement in the wider community. He provided leadership in youth crime prevention and was actively involved with the United Way and the Urban League.
• Under Archbishop-designate Wuerl’s direction, the Diocese of Pittsburgh successfully conducted a series of convenings on racism in 1996 and 1997. At the conclusion of this racism initiative in 1999, Archbishop-designate Wuerl addressed the issue of racism in a pastoral letter, “Confronting Racism.”
• When the AIDS crisis hit a critical level in our nation, Archbishop-designate Wuerl provided a pastoral response on the issue of AIDs, as well as material assistance through the Corpus Christi residence for those who were homeless and suffering from AIDS.
• One of the first dioceses to offer post-abortion training and counseling program, outreach was expanded under Archbishop-designate Wuerl to also include bi-annual retreats and support groups. In “Post Abortion Reconciliation and Healing,” a pastoral letter released in 2000, Archbishop-designate Wuerl addressed directly those affected by an abortion decision.
• Archbishop-designate Wuerl wrote two pastoral letters to the faithful of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, “Respect for Life” in 1989 and “God’s Good Gift of Life” in 1999, calling them to actively promote the protection of all human life.
• Under the leadership of Archbishop-designate Wuerl a “Protocol for Evaluating Catholic Health Care Collaborative Relationships” was written and promulgated in 1999.
• Archbishop-designate Wuerl has written extensively on the need to promote ethical scientific research that respects the dignity of all human life. He has written on the benefits of adult stem cell research and the perils of embryonic stem cell research, as well as addressing the dangers of pursuing human cloning. His most recent document entitled, “Evangelium Vitae, A 10th Anniversary Reflection on Stem Cell Research” was released in 2005.
• Under the direction of Archbishop-designate Wuerl, Michael’s Place a post-release program for ex-offenders seeking assistance in changing their lives was started in 2001 as an extension of the diocesan prison ministry outreach.
• Under the leadership of Archbishop-designate Wuerl, the Diocese of Pittsburgh has taken a proactive stance in responding to the ever-increasing needs of the elderly population. Assistance is provided through the Catholic Long Term Care Network for those needing nursing home care, Christian Housing for those needing subsidized assisted living, and through the Challenges, Options in Aging Program serving seniors who remain at home but need additional services ranging from health screenings and physical fitness to a place to socialize and learn computers.

Pastoral

• As part of parish spiritual renewal, Archbishop-designate Wuerl conducted countless visits to the 214 parishes across the diocese. He visited on average 100 parishes each year for pastor installations, visitations, confirmations and other pastoral opportunities.
• The parish Revitalization and Reorganization Process, begun in 1990, was undertaken at a time when Southwestern Pennsylvania was reeling from the economic and demographic fallout of the decline in the steel industry. The process involving parishes throughout the diocese established a solid foundation for parish life in the diocese for decades to come.
• In February 1998 Archbishop-designate Wuerl issued guidelines and a timetable for the 19th synod of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Mass at St. Paul Cathedral on Pentecost Sunday in May, 1999 formally opens the synod, which concluded the following June with strategic priorities to guide the diocese in the new millennium.
• Archbishop-designate Wuerl had a strong working relationship with local print and electronic media, including hosting an annual breakfast meeting with media for World Communications Day.
• Archbishop-designate Wuerl has reached out personally in his annual Holy Thursday Lord’s Supper Mass that has been celebrated in prisons, nursing homes and numerous facilities for persons with specials needs.
• In launching a major diocesan-wide effort, Archbishop-designate Wuerl issued the pastoral letter “Envisioning Ministry for the Future,” in September 2004. This began a process of discernment and action on the parish and diocesan level on ways to cope with the growing shortage of priests. Every deanery, as well as parishes throughout the diocese, has been engaged in joint study and consultation in providing ministry in a future with less priests available to minister.
• Under Archbishop-designate Wuerl ethnic communities have grown and prospered through financial and pastoral assistance to ethnic Catholic communities. Additionally material and administrative assistance is provided for refugees and immigrants acculturating into the region.