Wexford pastor appointed as next bishop of Youngstown

Pope Francis has named the pastor of a church in Wexford as the next bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.

The Rev. David J. Bonnar, 58, who serves as pastor of St. Aidan Parish, will be installed as the sixth bishop of Youngstown during an episcopal ordination Jan. 12 at the Cathedral of St. Columba. A news conference at 11 a.m. today as well as the Jan. 12 installation Mass will be live-streamed on YouTube.

The Youngstown diocese has 200,000 people and spans six counties in northeast Ohio.

Bonnar’s appointment was announced today in Washington, D.C., by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to the United States.

“I am overwhelmed by the trust and confidence the Holy Father has placed in me in appointing me the Bishop of Youngstown,” Bonnar said in a news release. “It is humbling following a long line of Pittsburgh priests that include Cardinal Maida, Cardinal Wuerl, Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop Hebda, Bishop Bosco, Bishop Tobin, Bishop Zubik, Bishop Burns and Bishop Bradley, who have been called to shepherd and serve the church beyond our diocese.”

Bonnar will replace Bishop George V. Murry, who died of acute leukemia in June. He was 71.

Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik called Bonnar’s elevation to the order of bishop “a time of great celebration in the Diocese of Youngstown but also for all of us in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.”

“Over the course of the years, there have been a number of our priests who have been made bishops from our diocese,” Zubik said in a news release. “It is once again a recognition of how many of our priests are strong leaders and heartfelt pastors. There is no question in my mind that Father Bonnar is most qualified to take on his new responsibilities.

Zubik said Bonnar has spent the majority of his 32 years as a priest serving in parish ministry.

“The faithful of Youngstown can look forward to very strong pastoral leadership on the part of their new bishop,” Zubik said. “One of the things I admire most about Bishop-elect Bonnar is how much he is zealous in responding to the spiritual needs of his people — truly a sign of a good shepherd.”

Before being assigned to St. Aidan Parish, Bonnar was pastor at St. Bernard Parish in Mt. Lebanon for 11 years. He also was a pastor at St. Bartholomew in Penn Hills and was parish administrator for Our Lady of Grace in Scott. Bonnar also has served at St. Vitus in New Castle, St. Rosalia in Greenfield and St. Thomas More in Bethel Park.

In addition to his parish duties, Bonnar was a chaplain for Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School and has been chaplain for the Pittsburgh Steelers and is the editor of The Priest magazine, a national publication for priests published by Our Sunday Visitor.

Bonnar attended St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin School in Whitehall and graduated from Seton LaSalle High School in Mt. Lebanon. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in social communication from Duquesne University.