Warwick parents learn their son is named Bishop of Albany
WARWICK — On Feb. 11 Pope Francis named Monsignor Edward B. Scharfenberger, a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn and the son of Edward and Elaine Scharfenberger of Warwick, to be the next Bishop of Albany.
Bishop-designate Scharfenberger, who will be installed as the 10th Bishop of Albany on April 10, will be replacing Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, who had reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.
The Albany Diocese has about 330,000 parishioners in 14 counties across upstate New York.
Scharfenberger was born in Brooklyn on May 29, 1948 and he is the eldest of five children.
"My heart is full of gratitude to God for my loving family, especially my 93-year-old parents who were generous enough to welcome me, my two brothers and two sisters into the world," said Scharfenberger during a recent visit to Warwick. "They taught us how to pray, to trust God and to know Jesus as our friend. Their continuous example shows us that the essence of love is sacrifice."
Although it is rare for a priest rather than a bishop or auxiliary bishop to be named bishop of a large diocese, Scharfenberger has impressive credentials.
After graduating from Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in 1968, he was assigned to study theology at the North American College in Rome, where he earned a bachelor's degree in sacred theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University.
In 1973, Scharfenberger was ordained a priest in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.
Following ordination, he served as a parochial vicar at St. Ephrem Church in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, before returning to Rome to study. And in 1977, he earned his graduate degree, summa cum laude, in moral theology from the Pontifical Academy Alphonsianum.
After returning to the United States, Scharfenberger was assigned to the Catholic University of America, where he earned an advanced degree summa cum laude in Canon Law. He was then appointed to the Brooklyn Diocesan Tribunal, serving as officialis and judicial vicar for the diocese from 1993 to 2002. During that time he attended Fordham University School of Law, earning his juris doctor in 1990. The following year, he was admitted to the New York Bar.
In 2002, Scharfenberger was appointed pastor of St. Matthias Church in Ridgewood, New York, a multi-ethnic church, which offers services and hears confessions in German. In addition to German, Scharfenberger speaks Spanish, Italian and French.
He also served as Promoter of Justice for the Brooklyn Diocese and vicar for Strategic Planning and administrator of the Diocesan Board of Mediation and Arbitration for the past 15 years as well as chaplain of the Kings County Catholic Lawyers Guild.
Scharfenberger has also served as instructor in moral theology at the diocesan Pastoral Institute and as adjunct professor of St. Joseph's College.
Last year he was appointed episcopal vicar of Queens, representing Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio in all parishes in Queens.
"First and foremost," said DiMarzio, "Monsignor Scharfenberger is a good priest. He is primarily concerned about people and is untiring in finding new ways to proclaim the message of redemption which is at the heart of the Gospel. I also extend my congratulations to his mother and father, Elaine and Edward, who are both blessed to see this joyful day, for raising such a fine Christian gentleman, for giving the Diocese of Brooklyn a great priest and for giving the Church a holy bishop."
Introducing himself to the Albany Diocese at a press conference, Bishop-designate Scharfenberger said, "I promise to love and respect all of you by letting you be who you are and to bring out the best in you. Let's do this for one another. I will spend every talent that God has given to me, and every ounce of energy, for the Church in Albany."