Happy Birthday, Bishop Mulvey!

Today, our bishop has a special birthday—he turns 75! We wish him all the best and many more years, and we are grateful for his guidance and service in our diocese.
 
However, with this birthday comes a drawback: according to Canon Law, every bishop is required to submit his letter of resignation to the Holy Father on his 75th birthday. Today, the bishop will submit a letter to Pope Francis offering his resignation.
 
“I always knew it was coming. And now that it's here, I have several sentiments: one is a deep sense of gratitude to God, first of all, to my parents for my vocation…
 
“Then you look at your shortcomings: if I have offended anyone, and certainly I have, I ask forgiveness. But I know that the grace of God is greater!”
However, on this day, the good outweighs any negative thought: “I'm very grateful to God for all the graces on these almost 15 years in the diocese, and I’m very grateful for the people who are here and who have worked with me and allowed me to serve God's people here.”
 
Upon submitting this letter, it is up to the Holy Father to accept it. It could possibly be a few years before his replacement is named. Bishop Mulvey says, “While it is true that I will be retiring, the process of appointing another Bishop for our diocese will take some time… I told him that I am always available to the Church.”