Paul Fitzpatrick Russell | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit Titular Archbishop ofNovi | |
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| Archdiocese | Detroit |
| Appointed | May 23, 2022 |
| Installed | July 7, 2022 |
| Other post | Titular Archbishop ofNovi |
| Previous posts |
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| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 20, 1987 by CardinalBernard Law |
| Consecration | June 3, 2016 by Sean O'Malley,Allen Vigneron andLeo Cushley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1959-05-02)May 2, 1959 (age 66) |
| Alma mater | Saint John's Seminary Pontifical Gregorian University Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy |
| Motto | Cor ad cor loquitur (Heart speaks to heart) |
| Styles of Paul Fitzpatrick Russell | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Paul Fitzpatrick Russell (born May 2, 1959) is an American prelate of theCatholic Church who was appointed auxiliary bishop of theArchdiocese of Detroit in Michigan in 2022. He previously served as the apostolic nuncio toTurkey, Turkmenistan, andAzerbaijan and the head of the diplomatic mission toTaiwan. In accordance with those roles, he has the personal title ofarchbishop.
Paul Russell was born inGreenfield, Massachusetts on May 2, 1959. to Isabelle Fitzpatrick and Thaddeus Russell. The family lived inShelburne Falls, Massachusetts, then moved toMalden, Massachusetts and next toWillmington, Massachusetts. In a 2016 interview, Russell said that he first thought of becoming a priest in the first grade.[1]
When Russell was in third grade, his parents divorced; Russell moved with his mother and siblings toAlpena, Michigan. He then attended the parish school of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Russell graduated fromAlpena High School in 1977, and then spent a year in France as anexchange student.[1][2]
After returning from France, Russell entered atSaint John's Seminary in Boston. Wanting to learn Spanish, he traveled toPeru andBolivia with the St. James Society, spending a year in South America. Part of his time there was spent in language school, the other part was living with a poor family.[1]
Russell returned to St. John Seminary around 1985 to resume his studies. On January 31, 1987, he was ordained atransitional deacon and was assigned to St. Joseph Parish inWakefield, Massachusetts.[1]
On June 20, 1987, Russell was ordained to the priesthood for theArchdiocese of Boston at theCathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston by ArchbishopBernard Law.[3]
After his 1987 ordination, the archdiocese assigned Russell as an associate pastor to Sacred Heart Parish inWest Lynn, Massachusetts. In 1992, shortly after arriving at a new assignment at St. Eulalia Parish inWinchester, Massachusetts, Law asked Russell to become one of his priest-secretaries. In 1993, Law invited Russell to join theVatican Diplomatic Service.[1]
In 1993, Russell went to Rome to enter thePontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the training facility for Vatican diplomats. He earned a Licentiate in Canon Law and aDoctor of Canon Law degree at thePontifical Gregorian University in Rome.[1]
On July 1, 1997, Russell entered the diplomatic service,[4] serving first for a short while in Rome working with BishopJames Harvey. Later in 1997, Russell was assigned to theApostolic Nunciature to Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti, stationed in Ethiopia. He worked there for three years. In 2000, the Vatican sent Russell to theApostolic Nunciature to Turkey and Turkmenistan. In 2002, he was transferred to theApostolic Nunciature to Switzerland, when he also assumed pastoral duties of an English-language parish. In 2005, Russell went to theApostolic Nunciature to Nigeria, remaining there three years.
On May 2, 2008,Pope Benedict XVI named Russell aschargé d'affaires of theApostolic Nunciature to China (located inTaiwan, the Republic of China), making him the head of the diplomatic mission.[1][a]
On March 19, 2016,Pope Francis appointed Russell as apostolic nuncio toTurkey and titular archbishop ofNovi.[4][6] On June 3, 2016, Russell was consecrated in theCathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston by CardinalSeán O'Malley, with ArchbishopsAllen Vigneron andLeo Cushley serving as co-consecrators.[1] The post of apostolic nuncio toAzerbaijan was added to Russell's responsibilities on April 7, 2018.[7][8] Russell resigned his post as apostolic nuncio on February 2, 2022.[3]
On May 23, 2022,Pope Francis named Russell as an auxiliary bishop of Detroit, allowing him to keep the personal title of archbishop.[9] On July 7, 2022, he began his role as auxiliary bishop.[3] On the occasion when an archbishop in his own right is appointed bishop of a diocesan see, the archbishop is personally referred to as the "Archbishop Bishop of [See Name]." In Russell's very rare circumstance, as an archbishop in his own right being appointed as an auxiliary bishop, he was to be personally be referred to as an "Archbishop Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit."[1]
Russell has a devotion to his mother's cousinMichał Piaszczyński, a beatified priest who died in theSachsenhausen concentration camp duringWorld War II.[1] Russell is fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, and German.[4]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by - | Archbishop Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit 2022-Present | Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by | Apostolic Nuncio to Azerbaijan 2018-2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Apostolic Nuncio to Türkiye andTurkmenistan 2016-2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chargé d’affaires to China 2008-2016 | Succeeded by Slađan Ćosić |
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