Diocese of Toledo Auxiliary Bishop Donnelly Retires

From the Toledo Blade:

Auxiliary Bishop Robert W. Donnelly retired yesterday after 49 years of service in the Toledo Catholic Diocese, including 22 as a bishop.

His retirement was effective at 6 a.m. Toledo time when Pope Benedict XVI made the announcement in Rome. According to the church’s code of canon law, all bishops must submit letters of resignation when they reach age 75. Bishop Donnelly submitted his letter to the Pope after his 75th birthday on March 22.

A native of Toledo, Bishop Donnelly was ordained a priest on May 25, 1957, and appointed auxiliary bishop by Pope John Paul II on May 3, 1984.

He served as administrator of the 19-county Toledo diocese following the death of Bishop James Hoffman in February, 2003. He held that top interim position until the Vatican appointed Bishop Leonard Blair the following October.

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The Rev. Michael Billian, episcopal vicar of the diocese, said it is unlikely that the Vatican will appoint a successor to Bishop Donnelly for a diocese the size of Toledo.

“The number of auxiliary bishops in the world has been reduced over time and we do not expect here at the Diocese of Toledo to have another auxiliary bishop,” he said. “We knew that for a while now, and our own internal workings have shifted a bit.”

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