Circuit Digest, Summer Edition

On a scheduling note, the summer slowdown might be upon us in earnest, but that doesn't mean the circuit has ground to a halt; if anything, the next fortnight will be a full one as the chair-shifts set in motion over recent weeks take effect in four Stateside churches.

Beginning a week from today in the Heartland with Archbishop-elect George Lucas' installation in Omaha, the next round of welcomes reaches its peak a week later with three possessions in four days: Bishop Joe Cistone's arrival in Saginaw on the 28th, Bishop-elect John Barres' ordination in Allentown on the 30th, and the following day's ordination of Auxiliary Bishop-elect Tim Senior of Philadelphia. After that, the next seating doesn't come until August 20th, when Archbishop-elect Greg Aymond comes home to New Orleans.

In the meantime, the Pope might be off the grid at his Salesian retreat in Italy's northern mountains, but appointments already decided upon are still dropping daily from an otherwise-quiet Vatican, so it's entirely possible that another move or two could appear at sunrise as the calendar lurches toward the dead of August.

As of this writing, seven US dioceses stand vacant, with another eight led by bishops serving past the retirement age of 75.

As always, stay tuned.

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