Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond

Francis Xavier DiLorenzo was named the twelfth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Va. by Pope John Paul II on March 31, 2004. His installation took place on May 24, 2004.

Born in 1942 in Philadelphia, Pa., Bishop DiLorenzo enrolled in St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in 1960 and was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1968. He served in the Archdiocese in pastoral and educational assignments from 1968 to 1971. In 1971, he was sent to Rome for continued studies specializing in moral theology. He earned a doctorate in sacred theology in 1975 from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.

Upon his return to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Bishop DiLorenzo served as chaplain and instructor in theology at St. Pius X High School and, in 1977, was appointed chaplain and associate professor of moral theology at Immaculata College. He was honored with the title Chaplain to His Holiness Pope John Paul II in 1983. That same year, he returned to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, serving first as Vice Rector and two years later as Rector. During these years, he was also a member of the Archdiocesan Committee and a Prosynodal Judge of the Metropolitan Tribunal. He was named a member of the Papal Household and received the title Prelate of Honor of His Holiness Pope John Paul II in 1986.

In 1988, Bishop DiLorenzo was appointed Titular Bishop of Tigia and Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton, Pa., and ordained to the episcopacy. In 1993, he was named Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Honolulu, Hawaii, and a year later was appointed Bishop of Honolulu.

During his administration, Bishop DiLorenzo was nominated by the Pope as a participant in the 1998 Synod of Bishops for Asia, where he encouraged more collaboration between Asian and U.S. bishops to serve the growing needs of Catholic Asian immigrants in the United States.

Currently, Bishop DiLorenzo serves in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) as a member of the Administrative Committee and also the chairman of the Committee on Science and Human Values. In an earlier term as chairman of that committee, he inaugurated a series of popular teaching brochures, reflecting the bishops’ consultations with top scientists on topics such as the relationship of science and religion and ethnical issues in the rapidly growing fields of genetic testing and genetic screening. In previous years, he also served on the USCCB Committee on Doctrine and the Ad Hoc Committee on Bishops’ Life and Ministry.

Established in 1820, the Diocese of Richmond encompasses the southern part of Virginia, including the Eastern Shore. It has a Catholic population of 213,528 in a total population of 4,727,638.