Pensacola, FL, priest named auxiliary bishop of Washington. D.C., Archdiocese

Jet, June 7, 2004

A West Florida priest was named by Pope John Paul II to serve as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

Rev. Martin D. Holley of Pensacola, FL, will be ordained a bishop July 2. He will then become one of three auxiliary bishops appointed to assist Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick as the spiritual leader of 550,000 Roman Catholics in the District of Columbia and five southern Maryland counties.

Holley, 49, one of 14 children, attended Faulkner State Junior College in Alabama before he earned a bachelor of arts degree in management from Alabama State University in 1977. Later, he attended Theological College of Catholic University in Northeast Washington from 1982 to 1984, while he studied for the priesthood.

He was ordained in 1987, and has been one of two Black Catholic clerics in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. He will join Bishop Kevin Farrell and Bishop Francisco Gonzalez, who assist McCarrick with his work on behalf of 140 parishes in the archdiocese.

"One of the most important works of the diocese is encouraging young men to consider vocations to the priesthood, and young women to religious life," said Holley.

Holley has six weeks to wrap up his affairs at Little Flower Catholic Church in Pensacola, where he is pastor to a congregation of 1,000 families.

As vicar for the District of Columbia, Holley will make pastoral visits to city churches, preside at confirmations and generally "make sure things are running smoothly in parishes," Holley stated.

"He will fit right in as we serve the people entrusted to us in this local church," said McCarrick during a news conference called to announce two major changes in his staff. The pope, who recently turned 84, also accepted the resignation of Bishop Leonard Olivier, 80, who has served the archdiocese in an auxiliary role since 1988.