Bishop Howard J. Hubbard will celebrate his 25th anniversary as leader of the 400,000 Catholics of the Diocese of Albany at a Silver Jubilee Mass, April 7, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany.
Nearly 1,200 invited guests will join the Bishop in marking the occasion.
The Evangelist will publish a special issue celebrating the jubilee on April 4.
Biography
Bishop Hubbard, who was born in Troy, is the first native of the Diocese to serve as its head. There have been eight other bishops. His is the second-longest tenure; Bishop Edmund F. Gibbons served for 35 years (1919-1954).
Bishop Hubbard has distinguished himself in several areas, including ecumenical and interfaith relations; interaction with government agencies to secure aid for the poor and others in need; pro-life efforts against abortion, the death penalty and euthanasia; and ground-breaking television retreats, the most recent of which was broadcast in 2000 as part of the Diocese's celebration of the Holy Year.
Nationally, he has served on committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Internationally, he was named by Pope John Paul II as a member of the Vatican commission that deals with the Church's relations with non-believers.
Early years
Howard James Hubbard was ordained a priest in 1963 in Rome, Italy. He served in the Albany Diocese as a parish priest and as the founder/director of social ministries to serve the poor and those struggling with addictions.
Hope House, which Father Hubbard began as a store-front ministry in the South End of Albany, continues today as a large, multi-level service agency for people with addictions and other problems.
Pope Paul VI appointed Father Hubbard to lead the Diocese on Feb. 1, 1977. He was ordained a bishop and formally installed on March 27, 1977. The Silver Jubilee Mass is being held on April 7 in order not to interfere with the observance of Lent and the celebration of Easter. The Mass, which begins at 2:30 p.m., will be attended by invited guests, including representatives from each of the 182 parishes in the Diocese.
(To e-mail a message of congratulations to the Bishop, visit www.rcda.org and click on "Bishop's Jubilee." Also posted there is the Bishop's complete biography.)