The Board of Trustees, Faculty, and Staff of St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry rejoice at the appointment of Bishop John S. Bonnici as the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester. Upon his installation as Bishop on March 19th, 2026, Bishop Bonnici will also take up the role of Chancellor at St. Bernard’s.
The role of Chancellor, held by the sitting Bishop of Rochester, reflects the commitment of St. Bernard’s to be born anew “from the heart of the Church” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, §1). As the Second Vatican Council attested, the Bishops of the Church have been entrusted with the authentic interpretation of revealed truth (see Dei Verbum §§8-10). As a School that explores and unfolds this revealed truth, it is essential that a relationship “characterized by mutual trust, close and consistent cooperation and continuing dialogue” be nurtured with the
Bishop of Rochester (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, §28). The Bishop’s role as Chancellor is a continual recognition of joyful obedience to the gift of the Holy Spirit through apostolic succession, and is a constant enactment of the mutual trust and close cooperation between diocesan leadership and the School.
Bishop John S. Bonnici, whose episcopal motto is “to Jesus, through Mary,” brings a wealth of educational and ministerial experience. He holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute (Rome session) and a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute (Washington, DC session). After his studies and during his service as pastor at several parishes in the Archdiocese of New York, Bishop Bonnici served as an Adjunct Professor of Moral Theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie) in Yonkers for 20 years. His theological education and his ministerial experience enabled him to author Person to Person: Friendship and Love in the Life and Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar in 1999. Bishop Bonnici currently serves on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on the Catechism. St. Bernard’s will benefit greatly from Bishop Bonnici’s leadership, knowledge, and vision of the educational and ministerial needs of our time, as the School continues to serve the Church and the world in their search for beauty, goodness, and truth.
Bishop Salvatore R. Matano, whose resignation has been accepted by Pope Leo, has served as Chancellor of St. Bernard’s since 2014. During this time, Bishop Matano has led the School through periods of growth and through moments of adversity, all the while encouraging and leading the School in unitatem fidei (in the unity of the faith, Bishop’s episcopal motto), he rebuilt the Board of Trustees, appointed the current leadership of the School, led it through successful reaccreditation, and strengthened its academic and theological foundations. The Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff of St. Bernard’s express their deepest gratitude for Bishop Matano’s support, leadership, and for always foregrounding the importance of theological, catechetical, and ministerial formation for a more profound relationship with Jesus Christ and a more luminous proclamation of the Gospel.
May Bishop Bonnici and Bishop Matano be kept in our prayers during this time of transition, and may St. Bernard’s be blessed to serve the Church ever more faithfully and fruitfully, inviting men and women from around the world into a formative community of live engagement that allows truth, beauty, and goodness to challenge us, to heal us, and to elevate us into communion with God.
