{{Short description|American prelate}} {{Infobox Christian leader | honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend | name = Michael Angelo Saltarelli | honorific-suffix = | archbishop_of = Bishop of Wilmington | image = Michael Angelo Saltarelli.jpg | caption = | province = | diocese = | see = Wilmington | enthroned = January 23, 1996 | ended = July 7, 2008 | predecessor = Robert Mulvee | successor = William Malooly | ordination = May 28, 1960 | consecration = July 30, 1990 | other_post = Titular Bishop of Mesarfelta (1990–1995) | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date |1932|1|17}} | birth_place = Jersey City, New Jersey, US | death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|10|8|1932|1|17}} | death_place = Wilmington, Delaware, US | buried = | nationality = | religion = Roman Catholic Church | residence = | parents = | spouse = | children = | occupation = | profession = | alma_mater = | signature = | motto = Obedience to Jesus Christ | ordained_by = Thomas Aloysius Boland | consecrated_by = Theodore McCarrick | education = Seton Hall University<br>Immaculate Conception Seminary | coat_of_arms = }}
{{infobox bishopstyles | name=Michael Angelo Saltarelli | dipstyle=Most Reverend | offstyle=Your Excellency | relstyle=Bishop | deathstyle=not applicable ||image=Coat of arms of Michael Angelo Saltarelli.svg|image_size=200px}}
'''Michael Angelo Saltarelli''' (January 17, 1932 – October 8, 2009) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of Wilmington in Delaware from 1995 to 2008. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey from 1990 to 1995.
==Biography==
=== Early life === One of seven children, Michael Saltarelli was born on January 17, 1932, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Michael and Caroline (née Marzitello) Saltarelli.<ref name="wilm">{{cite news|work=Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington|title=Most Reverend Michael A. Saltarelli|url=http://www.cdow.org/bishopsaltarelli.html|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101117020110/http://www.cdow.org/bishopsaltarelli.html|archivedate=2010-11-17}}</ref> Former Boston College football player Brian Toal is Michael Saltarelli's grandnephew.<ref name="journal" />
Saltarelli attended James J. Ferris High School in Jersey City and later Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956.<ref name="wilm" /> Saltarelli then studied at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, New Jersey.
=== Priesthood === Saltarelli was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Newark for the Archdiocese of Newark by Archbishop Thomas Boland on May 28, 1960.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Bishop Michael Angelo Saltarelli [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bsalt.html |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref> Saltarelli first served as an associate pastor at Holy Family Parish in Nutley, New Jersey, from 1960 to 1977, earning a Master of Religious Studies degree from Manhattan College in New York City in 1975.<ref name="wilm" /> He was then appointed as pastor of Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Bayonne, New Jersey, serving there until 1982. Saltarelli was then named executive director for pastoral services in the archdiocese. He was raised by the Vatican to the rank of honorary prelate in 1984.<ref name="wilm" />
Saltarelli was named pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, in June 1985, and vicar for priests in November 1987. He also served as dean of North Essex, Bayonne, and West Essex in New Jersey. He served two terms as a member of and one term as president of the Priests' Personnel Board, and was a member of the archdiocesan school board.<ref name="wilm" />
=== Auxiliary Bishop of Newark === On June 2, 1990, Saltarelli was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of Newark and titular bishop of ''Mesarfelta'' by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on July 30, 1990, from Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, with Archbishop Peter Gerety and Bishop John Smith serving as co-consecrators.<ref name=":0" /> He selected as his episcopal motto: ''"Obedience to Jesus Christ."''<ref name="journal">{{cite news|date=2008-01-27|work=The News Journal|title=The people's priest who became a bishop|url=http://delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080127/NEWS/801270387|last=Soulsman|first=Gary}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
As an auxiliary to McCarrick, Saltarelli served as rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral and continued to serve as Vicar for Priests. He was also the national episcopal moderator of the Holy Name Society and New Jersey State Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus.<ref name=wilm/>
===Bishop of Wilmington=== Saltarelli was named by John Paul II as the eighth bishop of Wilmington on November 21, 1995. He succeeded Bishop Robert E. Mulvee, and was formally installed on January 23, 1996.<ref name=":0" />
During his tenure, Saltarelli oversaw an increase of over 60,000 Catholics in the diocese, ordained 23 priests and 47 permanent deacons, and constructed or renovated numerous churches, schools, and other facilities.<ref name=journal/> He also expanded ministries to Hispanics, and established a group of Delawarean Catholics dedicated to preventing legislation that would legalize cloning and the use of human embryos for medical research.<ref name=accomplishments>{{cite news|date=2008-01-27|work=The News Journal|title=Bishop Saltarelli's accomplishments|url=http://delawareonline.com/article/20080127/NEWS/801270313}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He released the names of 20 diocesan priests accused of sexual abuse,<ref name=abuse>{{cite news|date=2006-11-16|work=Bishop-Accountability.org|title=Bishop Releases More Names of Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse|url=http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2006/11_12/2006_11_16_BishopAccountability_BishopReleases.htm}}</ref> and once said, "I condemn what's been done to victims with all my heart."<ref name=journal/> In 2006, Saltarelli refused to allow a student center at Archmere Academy in Claymont, Delaware to be named after US Senator Joe Biden, an Archmere alumnus and pro-choice politician.<ref name="archmere">{{cite news|date=2008-08-29|work=National Catholic Reporter|title=Delaware bishops low-key on Biden's church involvement|url=http://ncronline.org/node/1698|last=Zapor|first=Patricia}}</ref>
==Retirement and legacy== Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Saltarelli submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI in January 2007 (however, his year of birth was still publicly listed as 1933, with 1932 not being publicized until after his death). His resignation was accepted by the pope on July 7, 2008, and he served as apostolic administrator of Wilmington until the installation of his successor, Bishop William F. Malooly, on September 8, 2008.
Saltarelli underwent an emergency quadruple-bypass surgery on April 2, 2009.<ref name="whispers">{{cite news|date=2009-04-05|work=Whispers in the Loggia|title=Ed On The Mend|url=https://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2009/04/ed-on-mend.html|last=Palmo|first=Rocco}}</ref> Saltarelli suffered from cancer that started as bone cancer and had spread. Michael Saltarelli died on October 8, 2009, at age 77 in Wilmington, Delaware.<ref>[https://abc7news.com/archive/7054096/ Former Wilmington Bishop Saltarelli Dies At 77], Associated Press story, KGO-TV. Retrieved on December 18, 2018.</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{succession box | before=Robert Edward Mulvee | title=Bishop of Wilmington| after=William Francis Malooly | years=1995–2008}} {{s-bef|before=–}} {{s-ttl|title=Auxiliary Bishop of Newark, New Jersey|years=1990–1995}} {{s-aft|after=–}} {{s-end}}
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington}} {{Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saltarelli, Michael Angelo}} Category:1933 births Category:2009 deaths Category:Deaths from bone cancer in Delaware Category:James J. Ferris High School alumni Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Wilmington Category:20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Category:21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Category:Clergy from Jersey City, New Jersey Category:Seton Hall University alumni Category:Manhattan College alumni Category:Catholics from New Jersey Category:American people of Italian descent