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vol, 9, no. 57

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Articles provided through Catholic World News Service

      VATICAN (CWN) -- Pope John Paul II observed the feast of St. Joseph today by ordaining three bishops-- including his own longtime secretary Stanislaw Dziwisz-- in St. Peter's Basilica.

      During his homily, the Holy Father repeatedly invoked the example of St. Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary, and his model for the Church. He urged the newly ordained bishops to follow the example of St. Joseph in their service to the universal Church.

      The Pope observed that he felt a particularly strong tie to each of the three new bishops-- all of whom are veteran Vatican officials. Bishop Dziwisz, in particular, has been a close collaborator. When he was an auxiliary bishop of Krakow, 35 years ago, the Holy Father ordained Dziwisz to the priesthood. Three years later, having become the Archbishop of Krakow, he tapped Father Dziwisz to be his personal secretary, and after his election to the papacy in 1978 he brought him to Rome to continue in that role. In February, the Pope named then-Msgr. Dziwisz to be Adjunct Prefect of the Pontifical Household.

      The Prefect of the Pontifical Household, Bishop James Michael Harvey, was the second man ordained to the episcopacy today. An American priest born in Milwaukee, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1975 and has worked for years in the Vatican Secretariat of State.

      The third new bishop, Piero Marini, has recently served as the master of ceremonies for solemn liturgical occasions involving the Pope, accompanying John Paul on his apostolic trips to carry out that role. Thus he too has been a regular companion for the Holy Father.

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