The Bishop

The current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington is Bishop Kenneth Angell. The bishop of a diocese is the spiritual leader of the Church in a given territory, and works with the pope to preserve the faith, defend the truth and lead people closer to Jesus. The bishop also oversees the day to day needs of the diocese, helping direct money to charity and to serve the poor, overseeing parishes, priests, hospitals, schools, and diocesan offices.

Catholics believe that Jesus singled out the Apostles to lead the Church after his Ascension. "The apostles were endowed by Christ with a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit coming upon them, and by the imposition of hands they passed on to their auxiliaries the gift of the Spirit, which is transmitted down to our day through episcopal consecration." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, (CCC) paragraph 1555).

The Bishop receives his call from Christ, to proclaim the Word of God. "Episcopal consecration confers, together with the office of sanctifying, also the offices of teaching and ruling." (CCC, 1558). The Bishop oversees the preaching of the Word, the administration of the sacraments, and the governance of the diocese.

Generally, the bishop alone confers the sacrament of Confirmation, and always Ordination to the Priesthood.