{{Infobox Christian leader | type = Bishop | honorific_prefix = The Most Reverend | name = Richard John Grecco | title = Bishop of Charlottetown | image = | alt = | caption = | church = Roman Catholic Church | archdiocese = | diocese = | see = Charlottetown | term = 11 July 2009 – 4 March 2021 | predecessor = Vernon Fougère | successor = Joseph Dabrowski <!-- Orders --> | ordination = 2 September 1973 | ordinated_by = | consecration = 2 February 1998 | consecrated_by = Thomas Benjamin Fulton | rank = <!-- Personal details --> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|3|4}} | birth_place = Thorold, Ontario | death_date = | death_place = | previous_post = Auxiliary Bishop of London (1998-2002)<br>Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto (2002-2009) | motto = Hope in The Lord | coat_of_arms = Coat of arms of Richard Grecco.svg }} {{Infobox bishop styles | name=Richard John Grecco | dipstyle=The Most Reverend | offstyle=Your Excellency | relstyle=Bishop | image = Coat of arms of Richard Grecco.svg | image_size = 200px }}
'''Richard John Grecco''' (born 4 March 1946) is a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the 13th Bishop of Charlottetown from 2009 to 2021.
==Biography== Born in Thorold, Ontario to Anthony and Lily Grecco, Richard Grecco attended St. Augustine's Seminary, Toronto and was ordained to the priesthood on 2 September 1973.<ref name=hierarchy>{{cite news|work=Catholic-Hierarchy.org|title=Bishop Richard John Grecco|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bgrecco.html}}{{Self-published source|date=August 2015}}</ref> He furthered his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome and the University of St. Michael's College, Toronto, from where he obtained a doctorate in theology in 1982. He served as a parish priest and a professor of moral theology at St. Michael's College, Toronto and St. Joseph's College, Edmonton.<ref name=toronto>{{cite news|work=Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto|title=Most Reverend Richard J. Grecco|url=http://www.archtoronto.org/about_us/bishop_grecco.html|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207204155/http://www.archtoronto.org/about_us/bishop_grecco.html|archivedate=2009-02-07}}</ref>
On 5 December 1997, Grecco was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of London, Ontario and Titular Bishop of ''Uccula'' by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on 2 February 1998 from Bishop Thomas Fulton, with Bishops John O'Mara and John Sherlock serving as co-consecrators.<ref name=hierarchy/> He selected as his episcopal motto: ''"Hope in the Lord"''.<ref name=toronto/>
Grecco was named Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto on 27 April 2002.<ref name=hierarchy/> In Toronto, he served as the senior vicar general and the episcopal vicar of the Central Pastoral Region and Scarborough, composed of approximately 98 parishes.<ref name=toronto/> He also worked with many lay associations and ethnic communities in the Toronto Archdiocese, and served on numerous boards and committees including the National Executive for Development and Peace and the Pontifical Mission Society.<ref name=toronto/>
On 11 July 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Grecco the thirteenth Bishop of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.<ref name=hierarchy/> He succeeded Vernon Fougère, who retired due to poor health after a 17-year-long tenure.<ref name=cbc>{{cite news|date=2009-07-11|work=CBC News|title=Toronto bishop named to head Charlottetown Diocese|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/toronto-bishop-named-to-head-charlottetown-diocese-1.855035}}</ref> As Bishop, he was the spiritual leader of 63,240 Catholics<ref name=release>{{cite news|work=Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto|title=Pope Benedict XVI Appoints Archdiocese of Toronto Auxiliary Bishop Richard Grecco as Bishop of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island|url=http://www.archtoronto.org/events_news/bishopgrecco_charlottetown.html|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922043406/http://archtoronto.org/events_news/bishopgrecco_charlottetown.html|archivedate=2010-09-22}}</ref> in Prince Edward Island.
On March 4, 2021, his 75th birthday, he resigned as the Bishop of Charlottetown having reached the retirement age set by canon law.<ref>{{cite news |work=CBC News|title=Roman Catholic Bishop of Charlottetown resigns, plans to start chemo |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-richard-grecco-retires-1.5936205 |access-date=4 March 2021}}</ref>
Pope Francis appointed Bishop Joseph Dabrowski as Grecco's successor, 2 April 2023.<ref>{{cite news |work=CBC News|title=Bishop Joseph Dabrowski replaces Richard Grecco as P.E.I top Catholic leader |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince_edward_island/pei-bishop_joseph_dabrowski-replaces_richard-grecco-as-p.e.i_top_catholic_leader-1.6798979| access-date=2 April 2023}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Biography|Catholicism|Canada}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{s-bef|before=Vernon Fougère}} {{s-ttl|title=Bishop of Charlottetown|years=2009–2021}} {{s-aft|after=Joseph Dabrowski}} {{succession box | title=Titular Bishop of Uccula | before=Gilles Bélisle | after=Robertus Gerardus Leonia Maria Mutsaerts | years=1997–2009 }} {{succession box | before=– | title=Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto | after=– | years=2002–2009}} {{succession box | title=Auxiliary Bishop of London | before=Frederick Henry | after=Robert Anthony Daniels | years=1997–2002 }} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grecco, Richard John}} Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:People from Thorold Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Charlottetown Category:Almo Collegio Capranica alumni