North NJ archdiocese gets 2nd archbishop
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The pope has named a new archbishop to help out and eventually take over for the archbishop of Newark, who is under fire for his handling of a sexually abusive priest.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda, recently of Gaylord, Michigan, was named coadjutor archbishop Tuesday for 72-year-old Archbishop John Myers, who is to retire in mid-2016.
When questioned about the change at news conference, Myers denied the appointment was made in response to the recent controversies involving the Rev. Michael Fugee.
Fugee confessed to grabbing a boy’s crotch but returned to the ministry under an agreement that he be kept from unsupervised contact with minors. Instead, authorities say he became a fixture at a youth group.
He later resigned and was arrested.
The archdiocese serves nearly 1.5 million parishioners in northern Jersey.
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