All Roads Lead to Dome

By long-standing custom, any episcopal appointments decided in the imminent run-up to the November Meeting of the US bishops have been held for announcement until after the plenary's close... yet with the bench already headed toward Baltimore for the weekend's committee meetings, all indications are that an unprecedented Pre-Game Show is afoot this time around.

According to multiple reports from Northeast Indiana, the nation's senior active prelate -- Bishop John D'Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend -- has summoned his priests to either of the diocese's twin cathedrals tomorrow for what's been termed a "once in a generation announcement."

With the Boston native now twenty-seven months past the retirement age of 75, the event's expected nature was foreseen 'round here not too long ago.

And that ain't all, either -- likewise expected tomorrow is the appointment of the eleventh archbishop of Milwaukee, who'll have the equal-part grace and Cross of following "Blessed Tim" in the Beer City.

And so, up early, gang. In the meantime, to everyone who's helped keep these pages afloat, a world of thanks (...and your briefing's on the way).

For all the rest, just sit back and enjoy... and yep, as always, stay tuned.

SVILUPPO (8.54pm): At this point, it's worth noting that at today's traditional "dump time" for news -- i.e. late Friday afternoon -- it was announced that two priests of the diocese of Harrisburg received the Purple Rain, the honors to be conferred in unusually rapid speed on 6 December.

And so it begins... well, the public part.

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