Dennis Sullivan Named New Bishop of Camden

The Diocese of Camden will install Dennis J. Sullivan as its eighth bishop next month, following the resignation of Bishop Joseph A. Galante, church officials announced Tuesday.

Sullivan, 67, who was ordained as a priest in 1971, has been an auxiliary bishop of New York since 2004, the same year Galante, 74, was named Bishop of Camden.

Born in the Bronx, NY, Sullivan has served in the Archdiocese of New York, the second-largest archdiocese in the country, since his ordination, including his current title as vicar general.

Galante's eight-year tenure was marked with controversy, as he presided over the consolidation of about half the parishes in the diocese. He has been in declining health, and announced in a 2011 letter to the diocese that he had been suffering from kidney disease, which required daily dialysis treatments.

"This illness, with its inconveniences and diminished strength and energy, has provided me with a graced opportunity for deeper prayer and reflection,” Galante wrote.

Galante previously served as bishop of Beaumont, TX, and adjutor bishop of Dallas.

Sullivan's appointment was made official by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States, in Washington, DC. Pope Benedict XVI accepted Galante's resignation, which comes a year before the mandatory retirement age.