St. John’s alumnus John S. Bonnici named bishop for Diocese of Rochester

On January 7, Pope Leo XIV appointed Most Reverend John S. Bonnici, a 1987 graduate of St. John’s University, as the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester, New York.

Bishop Bonnici is currently serving as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York and was ordained at St. Patrick’s Cathedral by His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan on March 1, 2022.

He joins other alumni from St. John’s University who have taken leadership roles in Catholic dioceses, including Most Rev. Robert J. Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, and Most Reverend Richard G. Henning, Archbishop of Boston. Bishop Bonnici earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and philosophy from St. John’s in 1987. Another local bishop, Most Reverend Kevin J. Sweeney of Paterson, New Jersey, graduated from St. John’s in 1992.

While attending St. John’s University—a Catholic institution rooted in the Vincentian tradition that offers undergraduate and graduate programs across its campuses in New York and internationally (https://limpar.locallabs.com/organizations/31cd27ec-cb0a-490b-93ef-bc1b263208c6)—Bishop Bonnici began to consider a vocation to the priesthood and later became a seminarian for the Archdiocese of New York. He was ordained to the priesthood at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on June 22, 1991, by the late John Cardinal O’Connor.

The son of European immigrants, Bishop Bonnici referred to his late parents as “co-pastors of my domestic Church. They introduced me to Jesus and Mary.”

As he prepares for his new role as Bishop of Rochester, he stated: “We seek to live together with Jesus and Mary,” adding that these guideposts provide direction for various tasks both easy and difficult.

He also pledged collaboration with faith and civic leaders: “As Bishop I promise to listen, learn, love—and work together with faith and civic leaders seeking positive and constructive change that respects the dignity of every human being.”

In addition to his responsibilities within the Archdiocese of New York, Bishop Bonnici serves on national committees including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People and its Subcommittee on the Catechism.

Bishop Bonnici will be installed as Bishop of Rochester on March 19 during the Solemnity of St. Joseph.

St. John’s University has developed into a comprehensive university since its founding in Brooklyn in 1870 under Vincentian leadership (https://www.stjohns.edu/). The university maintains campuses in Queens and Manhattan as well as international sites in Rome, Paris, and Limerick (https://www.stjohns.edu/).