FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 10, 2013

MSGR. KIERAN HARRINGTON APPOINTED FIRST RECTOR
OF ST. JOSEPH’S CO-CATHEDRAL

The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will preside over the installation of the Reverend Monsignor Kieran E. Harrington as the first Rector of the newly named Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, 856 Pacific Street, on Sunday, September 15th, at 12 p.m. St. Joseph’s was elevated to a cathedral on February 14th, one of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s last acts before his resignation on February 28th.

“I appointed Monsignor Harrington five years ago as administrator of St. Joseph’s,” said Bishop DiMarzio. “During that time, he worked with many different people to make sure the infrastructure of the church was upgraded, but as we all know, a church is not just brick and mortar. A church is about its people. And over the past five years, the parish has become vibrant and grown in no small part to Monsignor Harrington and his collaborators. I am confident under his leadership, the co-cathedral will be at the heart of the development of the new Brooklyn.”

Before St. Joseph’s elevation, St. James Cathedral Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn, was the only cathedral in the 160-year history of the Diocese, which was founded in 1853. St. James Cathedral was previously a pro-cathedral from the moment the Diocese was founded; it was conceived that a new cathedral would be built. St. Joseph’s, which can accommodate 1,500 people, is one of the largest churches in the Diocese. It is for this reason the Bishop sought permission for it to be named a co-cathedral.

The Reverend Monsignor Kieran E. Harrington, V.E., is Vicar for Communications for the Diocese of Brooklyn. He also serves as the President and Chairman of DeSales Media Group, a full-service media company that includes NET NY, a cable television station that can be seen in New York City on Cablevision Ch. 30 and Time Warner Ch. 97, and On Demand on Verizon Fios; The Tablet, the Diocese of Brooklyn’s weekly newspaper with a circulation of 80,000 and 30,000 unique online visitors per month; a technology division overseeing 21 websites; as well as a public relations office serving ecclesiastical needs.

Since 2008, Monsignor Harrington has served as the Administrator of the Church of Saint Joseph in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn, before his appointment to Rector after Pope Benedict XVI elevated the church to cathedral status. He graduated cum laude from St. John’s University with a degree in Philosophy. He holds a Masters of Divinity degree from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception and a Masters of Business Administration from the N.Y.U. Stern School of Business.

The Most Reverend Thomas V. Daily ordained him a priest at Saint James Cathedral Basilica on June 2, 2001. His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the rank of Papal Chaplain with the title of Reverend Monsignor on September 3, 2009.

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The Diocese of Brooklyn, which also encompasses the borough of Queens, was formed in 1853 and is the fifth largest diocese in the United States. It is the only entirely urban diocese in the country. The diocese serves 1.4 million Catholics in its 186 parishes. Last year, over 17,000 baptisms, 8,000 confirmations, 10,000 First Communions, and 2,000 marriages took place in the diocese. There are over 30,000 students in 97 Catholic schools and academies.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Stefanie Gutierrez
917-587-2784
sgutierrez@desalesmedia.org

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