New Bishop of Providence Bruce Lewandowski, C.Ss.R.Over the past years, the monastic community of Portsmouth Abbey has been grateful to cultivate its relationship with the Diocese of Providence. We have been blessed by frequent visits from our bishops, both sacramentally for Confirmations and Ordinations, as well as through a variety of programs, such as the Portsmouth Institute. Our relationship has likewise deepened with the many religious congregations scattered throughout the diocese, actively shepherded through the bishop’s Office for Religious under the direction of Sister Elizabeth Castro, H.M.S.P. We were heartened by the presence of Bishop Richard Henning for the diaconate ordination of Br. Benedict Maria last spring, pleased to have Bishop Thomas Tobin leading the Eucharistic Procession incorporated into the previous summer’s Humanitas program, and thankful for the many visits of Auxiliary Bishop Robert Evans for both Confirmation and for informal fellowship. It is thus with relief and joy that we learned of the appointment of our new bishop, Bruce Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., announced in early April of this year.
In the months following the departure of Bishop Richard G. Henning from the Diocese of Providence in late October 2024 to head the Archdiocese of Boston, there had been ongoing speculation as to the timing and the naming of a new shepherd in Rhode Island. Assignments by the Vatican take time, pastors assured their parishioners, months or years perhaps, plus Pope Francis had not been in the best of health recently and was even admitted to a Roman hospital. Right up until the official announcement was made public early on Tuesday, April 8, the names of various prelates, including a Benedictine, were still being shared and whispered about as possibilities.
Four bishops of Rhode Island at Mass on April 8, 2025
(l to r: Auxiliary Bishop Robert Evans, new Bishop Bruce Lewandowski,
Former Rhode Island bishops Richard Henning and Thomas Tobin)Once the Holy Father’s choice was made known in Washington, D.C., by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, the news spread rapidly that the Most Reverend Bruce A. Lewandowski [LEE-wan-DOW-ski) would become the tenth bishop of the Diocese of Providence. A native of Toledo, Ohio, and a Redemptorist priest since May 1994, he has been serving as auxiliary bishop of Baltimore, as well as titular bishop of Croae in Albania. He will be installed on May 20 in the Cathedral of Ss. Peter and Paul.

At 6:07 a.m. on April 8 an e-mail was sent to the priests of the diocese by Msgr. Albert A. Kenney, Diocesan Administrator, proclaiming the official news “with great joy.” Bishop Lewandowski sent his own e-mail to his “Brother Priests” in which he said, “On March 29, 2025, I received the news that I would be joining you in the Diocese of Providence as your bishop.” He wrote, “This time of the Church year is always busy and filled with the excitement of welcoming new followers of Jesus Christ into His Church. It is a most special time of year. I hope that all is going well for you these late Lenten days as you prepare for Holy Week, the Sacred Triduum, and the celebration of the Great Mysteries of our Redemption.” And in order to inform the consecrated religious men and women of the diocese, Sr. Elizabeth Castro, H.M.S.P., head of the Bishop’s Office for Religious, informed them in her e-mail that “In thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus, with great joy we welcome our new bishop!”
Bishop Lewandowski at ambo in ProvidenceA press conference was held that morning at 10 a.m. in the spacious crypt on the lower level of the Cathedral. We were welcomed by Michael F. Kieloch, Director of Communications and Public Relations, who called it a “joyful and historic day for both the diocese and for Rhode Island.” He introduced Msgr. Kenney who offered an opening prayer which included Psalm 118:24 which, he said, comes from the Eastern Liturgy. “Even though I know we are in the season of Lent, I would like to say that the joy of Easter has come a little early this season. The Lord has answered our prayers! ‘This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.’”

In turn introducing the new bishop, Msgr. Kenney said, “Congratulations, and welcome to the Diocese of Providence!” Taking the microphone, Bishop Lewandowski immediately set the tone for the day, and perhaps for his episcopacy, by encouraging everyone at the outset to, “Just call me Bruce, or Bishop Bruce, it’s a lot easier,” acknowledging that some people have difficulty pronouncing his Polish last name. “I’m very happy to be here, it’s a little bit overwhelming, to be honest. I’m very grateful.” He addressed the gathering most eloquently in English and fluent Spanish and Portuguese and at times was overcome with emotion, had to pause to compose himself, which also gave his listeners a moment to compose themselves, as well. “It’s an expressive language,” he explained, “and it brings the tears, I’m just a crier.”

He related an anecdote about Pope Francis whom he met in Rome during a bishops’ orientation course. During a lull in the conversation, he got up and said, “Holy Father, can I ask you how you’re doing, how’s your health, how’re you feeling? At that time, he was doing alright. He said, well you know, I could lose some weight, I need to have some work done on my knees, and he went through a kind of laundry list of his ailments. I said, do you mind if I give you a hug? He let me hug him! It was just a memorable moment. I think of him today and please pray for his good health and his recovery, he’s been through so much.”
Bishop Lewandowski interviewed by Rhode Island pressThe bishop related being out “in the wilds of Maryland” where he did not have good cell phone reception while driving home from a scouting Mass at a camp. He pulled his car over to the side of the road when he received the call from the Papal Nuncio who asked, “Are you alone? Can you talk? The Holy Father has named you to Providence.” A great blessing he thought. After thanking his many colleagues, parishioners and friends in Baltimore, as well as his family and his Redemptorist brothers, he said, “I love the Church. There’s nothing I would rather do than serve God’s people in the Church. I love being a priest, I love being a Redemptorist, I’m going to love being a bishop, I really am.” These sentiments again brought him to close to tears.

Once the formal press conference came to an end, an informal media scrum took place before the assembly began to move to the upper church for the new bishop’s first Mass in the Cathedral at noon. Besides the presence of Archbishop Henning from Boston, Bishop Emeritus Thomas J. Tobin, former Auxiliary Bishop Robert C. Evans, and Fr. Nathan J. Ricci, Director of the Office of Divine Worship, a number of diocesan staff was present including Dennis Sousa, Director of the Office of Family, Youth, and Young Adult Evangelization and James R. Jahnz, secretary for Catholic Charities and Social Ministry.
Bishop Lewandowski with pressA theme running throughout his informal remarks to the media and later in his homily was closeness, especially in ways that he as the new shepherd can get close to the people in his diocese. He said, “God’s closeness can be unsettling, God’s closeness can disturb. Closeness can be a challenge, it can be an intrusion, it can make us look at ourselves in our need for change, our need for conversion, our need to be more like the Lord. The closeness of Jesus who comes into our ears and penetrates our minds and hearts through the proclamation of the Gospel. And Jesus present in our neighbor, our brothers and sisters, who’s rubbing elbows with us in the faith close to us, near to us, never far, never distant.”

He continued, “Pope Francis, in his Jubilee of Hope, what does he say? He says, hopelessness is this: you’re alone, with no one to help you, and your future is uncertain. And he gives examples. He says people who can experience hopelessness, and he says this in his announcement, in his papal bull announcing the Jubilee of Hope, the elderly can feel what? Alone, without friendship, help, encouragement, and feel that their future is uncertain. The poor, youth, young people today, the sick, and migrants and exiles and prisoners, he names those specific people, saying, get close to those folks, get close to them, and the closer we get to those folks, the closer we get to Him.”

The Portsmouth Abbey community looks forward to sharing in this mission of “friendship, help, and encouragement” with our new bishop.

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