WASHINGTON (June 1, 2004) -- Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Bishop Frank J. Rodimer of Paterson, New Jersey, and appointed Newark Auxiliary Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli as his successor.

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

Arthur J. Serratelli was born in Newark, April 18, 1944. He earned a B.A. at Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey, in 1965, an S.T.L. at the Gregorian University, Rome, 1969, an S.S.L. at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, 1976, and the S.T.D. degree at the Gregorian University, 1977.

He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark on December 20, 1968.

Bishop Serratelli was appointed Titular Bishop of Enera and Auxiliary Bishop of Newark on July 3, 2000 and ordained September 8, 2000.

Frank J. Rodimer was born in Rockaway, New Jersey, October 25, 1927. He earned an S.T.L. degree at Catholic University of America in 1951 and the J.C.D. at Catholic University in 1954.

Ordained a priest of the Paterson diocese May 19, 1951, he was appointed Bishop of Paterson on December 5, 1977, and ordained February 28, 1978.

Established in 1937, the Diocese of Paterson includes the three counties of Passaic, Morris and Sussex in northern New Jersey. It has a Catholic population of about 377,000 in a total population of more than a million.

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