
By Kavitha Cardoza
Bishop-elect David O'Connell, who's stepping down as president of the Catholic University of America after 12 years, has been appointed the Bishop of Trenton, New Jersey by Pope Benedict the 16th.
O'Connell will govern the Diocese of Trenton, which covers more than 110 parishes and approximately 800,000 Catholics. It's one of the largest dioceses in the country.
Susan Gibbs, spokesperson for the archdiocese of Washington, says there are fewer than 200 bishops in the United States. She says O'Connell will have three main responsibilities.
"You have to be an administrator of a very complex business in a sense- schools, churches, hospitals, often social services," she says. "You're responsible for teaching the faith at a time it's not that culturally acceptable in some areas. And also to bring people to holiness, which might be the hardest part. So it's a big deal."
O'Connell will work in partnership with the current Bishop of Trenton for a year.

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