Bishop Guglielmone establishes curia

CHARLESTON—Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone has established the curia, or cabinet, that will help him communicate with all aspects of the Diocese of Charleston’s administration and ministries.

The curia is an administrative entity comprised of the chancery and all institutions, offices and departments involved in the governance of the diocese. The group had its first meeting June 20.

Bishop Guglielmone has appointed secretaries to oversee the various diocesan functions:

Msgr. Richard D. Harris, vicar general, is the curia’s moderator and secretary of administration. He will coordinate with stewardship, planning, child protection, ecumenical affairs, liturgy, consecrated and religious life, and communications.

Msgr. Charles H. Rowland, J.C.L., judicial vicar, oversees the tribunal secretariat.

John L. Barker, diocesan chief financial officer, is secretary of finance which includes financial services and human resources.

Msgr. Ronald R. Cellini, diocesan vicar for priests, is the secretary for clergy, which includes the offices of priest personnel, vocations, seminarians and the diaconate.

Sister Sandra Makowski, the diocesan chancellor, is the curia reporter and secretary of the chancery. The Sister of St. Mary of Namur will work with the departments of archives, lay apostolates and cemeteries.

Caroline Weisberg, director of the Office of Social Ministry, is secretary of social ministry, which includes ethnic ministries, family life, social outreach and Catholic Charities.

The secretary of education has yet to be named but the acting superintendents of schools will serve until a permanent selection has been made.

In this case, Sister Canice Adams of the Sisters of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, and Jacqualine Kasprowski, principal of Cardinal Newman School, will work with the offices of schools, catechesis and evangelization, campus ministries, and youth and young adults.

The bishop said he structured the curia to increase the efficiency and timeliness in distributing information. The individual department directors will meet with the secretary as needed.

“It’s mainly for the sharing of information so that all of these areas might be in better communication with each other,” Bishop Guglielmone said. “It’s small enough to be realistically effective.”

The curia will meet monthly, or as needed.