Michael Richard Cote

Michael Richard Côté (born June 19, 1949) is a retired American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, recently serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Norwich in Connecticut and parts of New York from 2003 to 2024. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Portland in Maine from 1995 to 2003

Biography

Early life Michael Côté was born on June 19, 1949, in Sanford, Maine. He first attended Our Lady of Lourdes Seminary in Cassadaga, New York, then went to Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. Côté later graduated from St. Mary's Seminary College in Baltimore, Maryland with a Bachelor of Philosophy degree. He then went to Rome to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University, receiving a Master of Theology degree in 1975.

Priesthood Côté was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Portland by Pope Paul VI on June 25, 1975, in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

After Côté returned to Maine in 1975, the diocese assigned him as parochial vicar at Saints Athanasius and John Parish in Rumford, Maine and Holy Rosary Parish in Caribou, Maine. Côté went to Washington D.C. in 1979 to enter the School of Canon Law at the Catholic University of America He received his Licentiate of Canon Law from Catholic University in 1981.

On April 3, 2010, Côté announced his opposition to a bill in the Connecticut General Assembly that would remove the statute of limitations for sexual abuse crimes. A letter signed by the Connecticut bishops said that this bill would cause tremendous damage to Catholic institutions and missions. On December 14, 2010, Côté announced that he was replacing Haitian Ministries for the Diocese of Norwich with a new organization, Diocese of Norwich Outreach to Haiti, Inc. He mentioned that the diocese was slowly distributing $430,892 collected from parishioners in January 2010 to prevent waste and misappropriation.

On February 10, 2019, Côté released a list of 43 clerics from the diocese with substantial allegations of abuse against them. Of the 43 clerics, 33 were deceased and the remainder were not performing ministry. He announced on July 16, 2021 that the diocese was declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy to facilitate settlement of sexual abuse lawsuits. Over 60 lawsuits were filed by former residents of Mount Saint John School in Deep River, Connecticut, a former church residential school for troubled boys.

On his 75th birthday, Cote submitted his letter of resignation. Pope Francis accepted Cote's resignation effective September 3, 2024. He became Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese once his resignation took effect.