BISHOP ANTHONY G. BOSCO
(1987-2004)
Installed as the Third Bishop of Greensburg, June 30, 1987, Bishop Anthony G. Bosco served the church as a Bishop for more than 33 of his nearly 52 years as a priest. Sincerely committed to the Second Vatican Council’s call to the laity, Bishop Bosco’s tenure in Greensburg was marked by a multitude of efforts designed to catechize the laity, and bring it into a richer involvement with the church.
Bishop Bosco instituted the restored order of the sacraments for children to receive the sacrament of confirmation at the same time they receive first Eucharist. He directed the formation of the former Department of Education and Spiritual Formation (now Office for Evangelization and Faith Formation), which includes a wide variety of education, catechetical and liturgical offices.
Under his leadership, “New Wine, New Wineskins: Revisioning the Parish through the Ministry of the Parish Pastoral Council,” a process that focuses on parish leadership, was established. He began a regionalization effort to help parishes in an area work together to fulfill the mission of the church and promulgated the diocesan-wide efforts “Journey of a Lifetime,” which focuses on education in the Catholic faith as a lifelong process, and “Taste and See: Catechesis as Food for the Journey,” catechetical guidelines.
Bishop Bosco had the privilege of leading the Church of Greensburg through the Jubilee Year, 2000. He celebrated the sacraments with parishioners at many parishes throughout the four counties of the Diocese. The high point was the Jubilee Mass, where he served as main celebrant for 2,000 people at Latrobe Memorial Stadium, making it the largest Mass ever celebrated in the Diocese.
He also had to deal with difficult issues. A changing economy, especially the loss of the area’s major industries (steel and coal) and other factors led to significant population declines in several parts of the Diocese. That necessitated the closing of several parishes, decisions he met with varying degrees of public opposition.
Believing strongly that the diocese should increase endowments to ensure a stable future, Bishop Bosco launched a $25 million capital campaign, “Honoring Our Past…Shaping Our Future,” Sept. 21, 2000. The campaign raised more than $28 million for the diocese and its parishes.
He was very active in the media for much of his priesthood. He worked collaboratively with KDKA radio during Vatican II, hosted a television program, wrote a column, “A View from the Bridge,” for The Catholic Accent and provided commentary for the “Accent on Air”, the former diocesan radio newsmagazine. He also chaired the U.S. bishops’ communication committee.
Bishop Bosco embraced new communication technology to evangelize and educate. He served as a professor at Seton Hill University in Greensburg and the University of Dayton’s (Ohio) Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation. The Catholic Press Association honored him with the 2001 Bishop John England Award, which is given to publishers in the Catholic press for their defense of freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.
Bishop Bosco was born in New Castle, August 1, 1927, and was raised on Pittsburgh’s North Side. He graduated from North Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, and attended St. Fidelis Seminary in Butler County, and Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, June 7, 1952.
Bishop Bosco served in several capacities in the Pittsburgh chancery and was named a Domestic Prelate of Honor with the title of Monsignor in 1968. During part of that time, he was a chaplain and instructor at Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh.
He was ordained a Bishop for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, June 30, 1970, and served there as an Auxiliary Bishop until his appointment to Greensburg after Bishop William G. Connare’s resignation.
Bishop Bosco submitted his letter of resignation as the Third Bishop of Greensburg, August 1, 2002, his 75th birthday.
He became Bishop Emeritus upon the ordination and installation of Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt, the Fourth Bishop of Greensburg, March 4, 2004.
After his retirement, he continued to remain active in the Diocese, and serve in many capacities as Bishop Emeritus, celebrating Mass at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Greensburg, as recently as June 29, 2013, three days before his death. He also participated in special Masses and celebrations throughout the Diocese, including priesthood ordinations, and the Communities of Salt and Light Awards dinners, where he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award in April 2010.
He even continued his work with various educational capacities, dedicating time to serving as a facilitator for the University of Dayton’s Virtual Community for Lifelong Faith Formation and teaching a religion class at Seton Hill University.
Bishop Bosco died peacefully in his Unity Township home on July 2, 2013, at the age of 85.
