Maine’s 13th Roman Catholic bishop installed in Portland

PORTLAND, Maine — The Most Rev. James Thomas Ruggieri was installed as the 13th bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland inside a packed Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Cumberland Avenue Tuesday afternoon.

At the conclusion of the two-hour ceremony, Ruggieri assumed the top spiritual leadership position for the nearly 300,000 Mainers — roughly one-fifth of the state — who self-identify as Catholics, replacing outgoing Bishop Robert Deeley.

Ruggieri was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and was educated in Barrington, Rhode Island, public schools. He earned an undergraduate degree in religious studies from Providence College and a Master of Divinity degree from St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore.

Ruggieri was ordained to the priesthood in 1995 and has served as a priest in the Diocese of Providence since that time. For the past 20 years, he served as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Providence.

The solemn installation ceremony began with an incense-wreathed procession of dozens of church officials, led by the Knights of Columbus and accompanied by organ and choir music. Then, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., read an official mandate from Pope Francis ordering Ruggieri be installed. The bishop-elect then paraded the elaborate, official message, written in Latin, around the cathedral.

Hymns and liturgical music in both English and Latin followed.

Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley then questioned Ruggieri before the bishop-elect prostrated himself as a sign of humility. Ruggieri was anointed, prayed over and handed the official ring, miter and pastoral staff of the office. The ornate items have been carried by Portland’s bishops since its first, Rev. David William Bacon, who served from 1855 until his death in 1874.

Ruggieri was officially named Bishop of Portland to applause and cheers from the assembled throng. Many in the cathedral raised cell phones and took pictures.

Holy communion was taken before Ruggieri made short, official remarks, thanking many church officials and his mother, who was in the audience. He recalled a story in which Mother Teresa once told a bishop to “not get in God’s way.”

“I take those words to heart,” Ruggieri said.

He then paraphrased Jesus from the Gospel of John.

“Love one another,” Ruggieri said.