The head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington has been appointed to lead the church in Hartford, Connecticut.
The Vatican, in a press release today, announced that Bishop Christopher Coyne would become the coadjutor archbishop of Hartford this fall. Coyne will then take over as the archbishop in Hartford next year when the current archbishop resigns.
An administrator will be elected to lead the Diocese of Burlington after Coyne leaves in October. Pope Francis will then appoint a new bishop for Burlington.
There are approximately 110,000 Catholics in Vermont, according to the diocese.
Coyne has been the Bishop of Burlington since December 2014. According to a press release, Coyne organized the first synod for the Diocese of Burlington in 50 years — a series of meetings focused on the future of the church in Vermont. He also started the Vermont Catholic Community Foundation, a nonprofit intended to support the state's Catholic community.
Coyne also formed a panel of laypeople to examine allegations of abuse by Vemont priests. The group released a report in 2019 naming 40 priests accused of sexual misconduct in Vermont since 1950.
Questions, comments or tips? Send me an email at liam.elderconnors@vermontpublic.org.
