‘Wonderful things happening’ in Norwich diocese, says apostolic administrator

NEW YORK – When Archbishop Christopher Coyne of Hartford was named apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Norwich in September, he said one of his first orders of business was to put to bed an “ugly” rumor that had begun to circulate.

That is, the idea that Norwich would be subsumed into the Archdiocese of Hartford; its neighbor to the west.

“I told them ‘no, Norwich has a great history. There are no plans by the nuncio to do this. No plans by me. This is your Church, and this is what you need to be proud of,’ and that kind of settled a lot of things for them I think in terms of moving forward,” Coyne told Crux.

Coyne was named apostolic administrator of Norwich on September 3, when Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Michael Cote, who had led the diocese since May 14, 2003. The move was made a few months after Cote’s 75th birthday, when, as is required by Church law, he submitted his resignation to the pope.

Coyne did not say where the rumor of Norwich being subsumed by Hartford came from. However, considering the diocese’s smaller size, precarious financial situation, and the fact that a merger discussion has been ongoing between two dioceses in Ohio for more than two years – showing that something similar, while rare, is possible – it’s not beyond comprehension that someone could have ignited the rumor mill.

The Diocese of Norwich comprises 1,978 square miles in east and central Connecticut, and has a total population of 669,430 of which 228,520 are Catholic, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Archdiocese of Hartford, meanwhile, comprises 2,288 square miles of west and central Connecticut, and has a total population of 1,926,810 of which 427,669 are Catholic, according to the USCCB.

So, with the rumor squashed, what is the situation in Norwich, one of the five Vacant Sees in the United States? In short, Coyne said “all and all there are wonderful things happening here.” At the top of the list is an impending resolution to the diocese’s 2021 bankruptcy filing.

“We’ve pretty much reached an agreement on the bankruptcy. The federal bankruptcy judge signed off on the agreement, and that should be settled within the next 90 days or so, so that’s a great relief for the diocese,” Coyne said. “It won’t leave much by way of resources for moving forward at the local level … but that’s something people can build upon.”

In terms of hope, Coyne also highlighted a “very healthy presbyterate” that exists in the diocese, with the priests doing a great job ministering to people, and providing the sacraments and religious education. He said he has and continues to meet with them together, and individually when needed, to provide encouragement.

Not wanting to instill too much with a new bishop on the horizon, Coyne said his main focus in Norwich has been vocations. He has made a priest of the diocese the full-time vocations director, who now works hand in hand with the archdiocese’s vocation director in an effort to replicate the success the archdiocese has had in recent years.

The archdiocese had its biggest seminary enrollment class this year, and 11 men have already submitted applications for next year. Whereas, Coyne said Norwich only has one priest in formation, which made it “kind of a desperate situation.”

“We’re trying to develop that same culture of vocations in Norwich,” Coyne explained.

In terms of numbers, if Hartford is any indication it’s possible Norwich could find itself in a favorable position in the future. Coyne said the archdiocese has seen a 7 percent growth in Mass count this year, and universities within the archdiocese have also seen immense growth in participation in Mass, bible studies, and other faith gatherings.

Coyne said based on that reality in Hartford, the next bishop of Norwich is going to have to encourage people because community is something they’re yearning for “and our churches are places of community where people are welcome.” He said it’s something he wants himself and the next Norwich bishop to work on together.

“So I’m seeing some significant revival here in vocations and the number of people going to Mass in the Archdiocese of Hartford, and I’m hoping to work with the next bishop coming in because I think as a metropolitan we need to be more cross lateral, cross cultural, and I like the idea of even having our vocation director work with their vocation director,” he said.

On who could be the next bishop of Norwich, Coyne didn’t give any names, but acknowledged that he’s seen some names of candidates. He said it’s likely that Norwich will be a first-time place for a guy, meaning someone who is an auxiliary or will be ordained a bishop.

“Cardinal Pierre has been very supportive. … He is well aware of the needs of Norwich. He’s well aware that they need a bishop,” Coyne said.