Edward Urban Kmiec (/ˈkɪmɪk/, KIM-ik; June 4, 1936 – July 11, 2020) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the 13th bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo in New York from 2004 to 2012.
Kmiec previously served as an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Trenton from 1982 to 1992 and as bishop of the Diocese of Nashville in Tennessee from 1992 to 2004
Biography
Edward Kmiec was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on June 4, 1936. At age 25, Kmiec was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Trenton by Archbishop Martin O’Connor in Rome on December 20, 1961.[1]
Auxiliary Bishop of Trenton
This section needs expansion with: additional facts of Bishop Kmiec's activities for the Diocese of Trenton 1982–1992. You can help by adding to it. (February 2015)
Pope John Paul II appointed Kmiec on August 26, 1982, as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Trenton and Titular Bishop of Simidicca. He was consecrated on November 3, 1982, by Bishop John C. Reiss.[1]
Bishop of Nashville
This section needs expansion with: additional facts of Bishop Kmiec's activities for the Diocese of Nashville 1992–2004. You can help by adding to it. (February 2015)
John Paul II appointed Kmiec as bishop of the Diocese of Nashville on October 13, 1992; he was installed on December 3, 1992.[1] He was heavily criticized for his diocese’s handling of sexual abuse allegations, particularly those against Edward McKeown, who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old boy.[1]
Bishop of Buffalo, New York
On August 12, 2004, Kmiec was appointed by John Paul II as bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo. [2][1] He was installed on October 28, 2004.[1] In 2007, Kmiec announced that the diocese had a balanced budget, after spending cuts reduced a $2.1 million deficit from the previous year.[3]
In August 2009, the Buffalo News reported the removal of Monsignor Fred R. Voorhes, as Administrator of St. Teresa's Parish in South Buffalo and the subsequent dismissal of Marc J. Pasquale, as business administrator and director of religious education at St. Teresa's. Parishioners expressed in interviews their discontent with these removals. Pasquale had gone to the Erie County District Attorney's Office prior to his dismissal to raise concerns about questionable financial practices.[4]
Kmiec was heavily criticized for downsizing the diocese from 274 parishes and missions in 2005 to 170 in 2011. He also oversaw the closures of 25 elementary schools.[4][5][6][7] The Diocese under Kmiec ordained only 18 priests from 2004 to 2011.[5]
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