Michael Angelo Saltarelli

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. Former Boston College football player Brian Toal is Michael Saltarelli's grandnephew. 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.

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. He released the names of 20 diocesan priests accused of sexual abuse, and once said, "I condemn what's been done to victims with all my heart."

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. 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.