Pope Francis has named a new bishop for the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, Monsignor William E. Koenig, a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York.
The appointment comes after the Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop W. Francis Malooly, 77, from the pastoral governance of the diocese. Bishop-elect Koenig currently serves as vicar for clergy for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 2021, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Monsignor Koenig was born August 17, 1956, in Queens, New York. He attended Cathedral College in Douglaston, New York (1975-1979) and received a Master’s degree in Divinity from Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, New York (1979-1983) and a Master’s in Social Work from Fordham University in the Bronx, New York (1994). He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Rockville Centre on May 14, 1983.
Bishop-elect Koenig’s assignments after ordination include parochial vicar at St. Edward the Confessor parish in Syosset (1983-1986); parochial vicar at St. James parish in Setauket (1986-1989); director of vocations (1989-1996) and director of the Office of Ministry to Priests (1990-1996) for the Diocese of Rockville Centre; parochial vicar at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre (1996-2000); pastor of St. William the Abbot Parish in Seaford (2000-2009); and rector of St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre (2009-2020). Since 2020, Monsignor Koenig has served as the vicar for clergy for the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
Bishop-elect Koenig’s pastoral ministry also includes service as a member of the diocesan priest personnel board since 2019. In 2007, Monsignor Koenig was named Chaplain to His Holiness, with the title of Monsignor.
The Diocese of Wilmington is comprised of 1,932 square miles in the state of Delaware and 3,375 square miles in the state of Maryland and has a total population of 1,490,342 of which 246,999 are Catholic.
Bishop-elect Koenig will be ordained to the Order of Bishop and installed as the Bishop of Wilmington at a special Mass scheduled for July 13, 2021 at Saint Elizabeth Church in Wilmington. A webpage has been established to keep the public informed and supply details about the transition, www.cdow.org/NewBishop.
