Archbishop Hebda to celebrate first cathedral mass in St. Paul on July 12

Archbishop Bernard Hebda, interim leader of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, will meet worshippers and celebrate his first mass at the St. Paul Cathedral on July 12.

Hebda, a veteran cleric currently serving in New Jersey, was appointed by the Vatican to oversee the archdiocese following the resignation of former Archbishop John Nien­stedt last month.

Hebda will arrive in the Twin Cities next week, and celebrate a "welcome mass" at the 10 a.m. cathedral service, according to the archdiocese. The mass celebrant typically greets parishioners after the service.

His schedule earlier in the week is not available.

Hebda is currently the coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., and is slated to succeed Newark Archbishop John J. Myers next year. He will oversee the Twin Cities archdiocese until a permanent archbishop is selected by the Vatican, dividing his time between Minnesota and New Jersey.

Hebda was appointed last month after Nienstedt resigned in the wake of a clergy sex abuse scandal, a series of related lawsuits and investigations, and a bankruptcy filing.

Jean Hopfensperger