Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - Bishop Michael W. Fisher, auxiliary bishop of Washington, Has been named new Bishop of Buffalo by Pope Francis. Fisher is the 15th Bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo.
The announcement comes a week after the New York State Attorney General announced a lawsuit against the Diocese of Buffalo for their decades-long child abuse scandal. The Diocese had been overseen by Apostolic Administrator Ed Scharfenberger after the resignation of Bishop Richard Malone.
"Though the challenges that currently confront the Diocese of Buffalo are many and significant, they are not equal to the resolve of so many committed lay women and men, devoted priests, deacons and religious across Western New York, who are no less determined to reveal God's transformative love that has the power to bind every wound, renew and make us whole," Fisher said, in a statement.
Fisher was named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington by Pope Francis on June 8, 2018. The appointment to the Diocese of Buffalo was publicized in Washington, D.C. on December 1, 2020 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
"Bishop Fisher is an exceptionally compassionate and skilled servant of the Church," said Wilton Cardinal Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, D.C. in a statement. "His distinguished history as pastor, Vicar for Priests, and member of our Pastoral Administration have prepared him well for his new responsibilities in that diocese."
Father Paul Seil at Saint Bernadette parish tells WBEN he doesn't know much about the newly appointed Bishop but says, "I think it's wonderful news." Seil says with all the challenges facing the diocese, he expects the new Bishop to face a great deal of scrutiny.
