New Bishop

Bishop-elect Sweeney is a native of Queens, New York; he was born on January 10, 1970 to the late James and Agnes (nee Blewitt) Sweeney. He has a sister, Marie Shanahan and a brother, Brendan, and five nieces and nephews. Bishop-elect Sweeney grew up in St. Luke’s parish in Whitestone.

He attended Cathedral Prep from 1984 to 1988 and was an outstanding baseball player for the high school seminary team, excelling as an infielder, outfielder, and pitcher. While his dream of playing professional baseball never panned out, he was inducted into Prep’s Hall of Fame in 2013.
After high school graduation, Bishop-elect Sweeney entered Cathedral Seminary House of Formation in Douglaston and studied at St. John’s University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy in 1992. He then entered the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington and received a M.Div. in Theology. During his time at the Seminary in Huntington, Kevin spent a Pastoral Year at St. Agatha’s (Brooklyn).

On June 28, 1997, Bishop-elect Sweeney was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn by Bishop Thomas Daily. Bishop-elect Sweeney’s first assignment as Parochial Vicar was to the parish of St. Nicholas of Tolentine (Jamaica) from 1997 to 2003. He was then assigned to Our Lady of Sorrows (Corona) from 2003-2004.

In 2004, Bishop-elect Sweeney was named by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio as the Vocation Director. During his time as Vocation Director, which lasted until 2010, he also served as the first Director of the (St.) Pope John Paul II House of Discernment.

In January,2010, Bishop-elect Sweeney was appointed as the Pastor of St. Michael’s Parish in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where he continues to serve. Bishop-elect Sweeney is fluent in Spanish, having studied the language extensively in programs in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.

Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli;
Names Father Kevin Sweeney of Diocese of Brooklyn as Successor
 
April 15, 2020
 
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Arthur J. Serratellii from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Paterson and has named Father Kevin Sweeney, a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn as Bishop-elect of Paterson. He will become the Diocese of Paterson’s eighth Bishop.

Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, publicized the appointment in Washington, D.C. on April 15, 2020.
Bishop Serratelli was installed as the Diocese of Paterson’s seventh bishop on July 6, 2004 and served as Bishop for nearly 16 years.

The date of Bishop-elect Sweeney’s episcopal ordination as the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Paterson has not been scheduled due to the pandemic. Bishop Serratelli will serve as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Paterson until that time.