USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) - Pope Appoints Auxiliary Bishops for Newark, Accepts Resignations of Bishops David Arias and Charles McDonnell

Pope Appoints Auxiliary Bishops for Newark, Accepts Resignations of Bishops David Arias and Charles McDonnell

WASHINGTON (May 21, 2004) -- Pope John Paul II has appointed two priests who serve as Spiritual Directors at Immaculate Conception Seminary, South Orange, New Jersey, as Auxiliary Bishops of Newark.

Monsignor Thomas A. Donato was appointed Titular Bishop of Jamestown and Monsignor John W. Flesey was named Titular Bishop of Allegheny.

At the same time, the Pope accepted the resignations of Bishop David Arias, OAR, Auxiliary Bishop of Newark since 1983, and Bishop Charles J. McDonnell, Auxiliary Bishop since 1994.

Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, made the announcements.

Thomas J. Donato was born in Jersey City, October 1, 1940. He attended Immaculate Conception Seminary and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark on May 29, 1965.

Following ordination, he held pastoral assignments, including Pastor, Assumption parish, Bayonne, 1982-1988, and Pastor, St. Raphael parish, Livingston, 1988-2001.
Bishop-designate Donato was named Spiritual Director, Immaculate Conception Seminary, Seton Hall University, in 2003.

John W. Flesey was born August 6, 1942, in Jersey City. He studied at Immaculate Conception Seminary, the Pontifical Gregorian University, and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Rome, where he earned a Doctorate in Spiritual Theology. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, May 31, 1969.

Following ordination, Bishop-designate Flesey served as parochial vicar and later administrator of St. Bernard's parish, Plainfield.

He was appointed Director for Seminary Formation at Immaculate Conception Seminary in 1986 and as Spiritual Director in 1989. He also served, from 1995 to 2000, as Rector of Immaculate Conception and as Dean of the School of Theology at Seton Hall.

David Arias was born July 22, 1929, in Leon, Spain. He studied at Our Lady of Good Counsel Theologate, Grenada, Spain, and was ordained a priest May 31, 1952. He was appointed Titular Bishop of Badiae and Auxiliary Bishop of Newark on January 20, 1983.

Charles J. McDonnell was born in Brooklyn on July 7, 1928. He earned an MA at Long Island University, studied at Immaculate Conception Seminary, and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, May 29, 1954. He was appointed Titular Bishop of Pocofelto and Auxiliary Bishop of Newark on March 15, 1994.