Tucson Diocese Welcomes New Bishop
Tucson's Catholic community welcomed a new leader to its church, as a Bishop retired.
The Diocese officially announced the installation of Bishop Edward Weisenburger as its new patriarch to a packed cathedral in downtown Tucson Wednesday.
The crowd cheered both in reverence to his arrival and in thanks to retiring Bishop Gerald Kicanas.
Weisenburger's appointment by Pope Francis came down last month, more than a year after Kicanas informed Rome he would retire, as is customary, upon his 75th birthday.
Weisenburger gave his homily in Spanish, then in English and promised to polish up his Spanish skills and spread the word of love.
"It devastates God when we don't love his other friends," he told parishioners. "Let us be in friendship with all."
A transplant from the Salina, Kansas Diocese, where he served for the past five years, Weisenburger is the seventh bishop for the southern Arizona diocese at age 56.
Kicanas said he will remain in Tucson and focus on social advocacy efforts for education, prison inmates and opioid addiction.
