World's oldest bishop, 103, marks 50 years as bishop, 77 as priest

[UrbScotty]

Archbishop Peter Leo Gerety, the world's oldest Catholic prelate, will mark 104 years of life July 19. But first he will celebrate 50 years as a bishop June 1 and 77 years as a priest June 29.

That's a lot of numbers for an old man to remember and the Newark archbishop emeritus is not getting worked up about any of them. "How many are coming?" he asks his assistant, Paula Flynn, who visits him four or five days a week at St. Joseph's Home for the Elderly here.

The nursing home, run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, will be the venue for a Mass, commemorating his half century of episcopal ordination June 1, and a luncheon. Gerety has been at St. Joseph's three years after living many years at the Newark archdiocese's home for retired priests in Rutherford, N.J.

"How many did you say are coming?" Gerety asks again. "About 25 of your closest priest friends," she tells him.

http://ncronline.org/news/people/worlds-oldest-catholic-prelate-celebrates-50-years-bishop

[rug]

1. Ad multos annos!