Bishop Malesic reflects on appointment to Cleveland

Posted on
August 14, 2020
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GOING WHERE THE LORD CALLS

In an interview with Jennifer Miele, chief communications officer, Bishop Edward C. Malesic talks about his appointment as the Bishop of Cleveland and shares his fondest memories and his greatest prayers for the future. Bishop Malesic celebrated his fifth year in Greensburg in July and simultaneously learned the Holy Father, Pope Francis, appointed him to Cleveland.

Let me go back five years ago when I was told I was going to be ordained a bishop and be installed as the Bishop of Greensburg. I was a parish priest. I was the pastor of Holy Infant Parish just outside of Harrisburg in the little hamlet of York Haven when I got the phone call from the apostolic nuncio saying, “Father Malesic, the Holy Father is asking you to be the Bishop of Greensburg.”

I went into panic mode in some ways, because I’m just a pastor of a small parish, and this is my home. That took me a lot to process. But now, when the nuncio called me and said that the Holy Father is appointing you the Bishop of Cleveland — well, I am already a bishop. It’s like being a priest given a new assignment.

I asked a few of my priests a few weeks back to take new assignments, and I know that was difficult for them. And now the Holy Father is asking the same thing of me.

I had to say yes, so I did, knowing that “Yes, I accept that appointment” was life changing again for me. I have been so happy in Greensburg; this is my home.

At the end of the day, every priest, every bishop is a missionary disciple. We follow in the line of Paul, who went from place to place, and those early apostles who went where the Lord was asking them to go.

Five years ago when I told my dad (who is 102) that I was going to Greensburg, I told him to read the letter of appointment. He read it and said, “Are you going to be a bishop?” I said, “I am.” “In Greensburg?” I said, “Yes.”

He said, “Did you get a raise?” I laughed and said, “We haven’t talked the terms of the salary. I don’t think that really enters into priesthood all that much, Dad.”

“The other night, when I heard that he was over there, I said, ‘Good for you.’ You may not believe this, but I said, ‘One of these days he’s going to be a pope.’”

Joseph Malesic, Bishop Malesic’s father, speaking to “The Accent On-Air” from his residence in Hershey.