By Jerry Zufelt
Editor
GREENSBURG — Bishop Emeritus Anthony G. Bosco will receive a lifetime achievement award at the 12th annual Communities of Salt and Light Awards dinner for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg April 22 at Stratigos Banquet Centre, North Huntingdon.
Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt will present the award to his predecessor, who started the Salt and Light event in 1999 to provide assistance for people in need while honoring people in the diocese for extraordinary contributions to humanitarian, philanthropic and human service efforts.
Msgr. Raymond E. Riffle, managing director of Catholic Charities, said it is appropriate to honor Bishop Bosco with a lifetime achievement award because of his efforts to initiate the Salt and Light Awards dinner and for his continuing commitment to the work of Catholic Charities.
"The Salt and Light dinner has indeed made a difference," Msgr. Riffle said. "In addition to raising money to directly assist the poor, the event has honored wonderful people and organizations who in their capacities have served the very people for whom we’re raising money. They have done significant work for the church in the Diocese of Greensburg."
In its 11 years, the Salt and Light dinner has netted more than $600,000 to provide direct material assistance to more than 6,000 individuals and families in the diocese’s four counties — Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana and Armstrong — according to Catholic Charities’ records.
All net proceeds from the dinner go directly to material assistance; no administrative expenses are taken, Msgr. Riffle said.
Bishop Bosco thanked Bishop Brandt and the Catholic Charities board of trustees for the honor.
"My first thought was there are many people more deserving of this honor," he said. "But, this honor means a lot to me coming through the Salt and Light program, which is rooted in the Gospel."
This will be the third lifetime achievement award presented at a Salt and Light dinner. At the 2004 dinner, which celebrated Catholic Charities’ 50th anniversary in the Diocese of Greensburg, Bishop Brandt honored Msgr. John L. Conway, who led Catholic Charities from 1966-83, and the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity, the Trinitarian Sisters, who helped staff Catholic Charities for 38 years after its founding.
Bishop Bosco was born Aug. 1, 1927, and raised on Pittsburgh’s North Side. He studied at the former St. Fidelis Seminary, Herman, and completed his college and seminary studies at Saint Vincent Seminary, Latrobe. He was ordained a priest June 7, 1952.
He received a licentiate in canon law at Lateran University, Rome, in 1953, then served as parochial vicar of St. Patrick Parish, Canonsburg.
Bishop Bosco served the Diocese of Pittsburgh in a variety of administrative capacities including assistant chancellor, vice chancellor, chancellor and general secretary. He also served as a chaplain and instructor at the former Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh and as chaplain to the Sisters of the Holy Spirit at their motherhouse.
He was named a monsignor in 1968 and consecrated and installed as auxiliary bishop of Pittsburgh June 30, 1970.
Bishop Bosco was installed as the third bishop of Greensburg June 30, 1987. As bishop, he addressed the major demographic changes caused by the decline of the mining and steel industries in the region. He implemented several initiatives to promote lay involvement in the church, including: "New Wine, New Wineskins: Revisioning the Parish through the Parish Pastoral Council"; regional pastoral councils; and the diocese’s first capital campaign, "Honoring Our Past … Shaping Our Future," in 2000, which raised more than $28 million on a $25 million goal. In addition, he helped lead the diocese’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2001, and also wrote a pastoral letter, "On Bended Knee: The Eucharist and Service."
Since his 2004 retirement, Bishop Bosco has taught Faith, Religion and Society at Seton Hill University, Greensburg, facilitated online courses in the University of Dayton’s Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation program and hosted Bible study sessions in his residence.
Watch The Catholic Accent and the diocesan Web site for news about other Salt and Light honorees.