Most Rev. Edward C. Malesic, former bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg, and now Bishop of Cleveland, will address the graduates at the 175th annual commencement of Saint Vincent Seminary and receive an honorary doctorate on Friday, May 21, at a vespers service in the Archabbey Basilica. Bishop Malesic had been scheduled to speak and receive the degree in 2020; however, the ceremony was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Seminary is hopeful that this year’s event can proceed as scheduled, but please refer to the Seminary website for updates on forthcoming Seminary events.
Pope Francis appointed Bishop Malesic to be the fifth Bishop of Greensburg on April 24, 2015. Bishop Malesic was ordained and installed as Bishop of Greensburg on July 13 at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral.
Bishop Malesic was appointed by Pope Francis as the twelfth Bishop of Cleveland on July 16, 2020, and installed on September 14, 2020.
Bishop Malesic was born in Harrisburg to Joseph A. and the late Elizabeth Schatt Malesic. He was reared in Enhaut, which adjoins the factory town of Steelton, near Harrisburg. He is one of four siblings. Two are deceased, Joseph, Jr. and Margaret R. Malesic. His surviving brother, Robert, lives in Hummelstown with his wife Constance. His father, who is still quite active, resides in Hershey.
Bishop Malesic received the sacraments of initiation at his hometown parish in Enhaut, the former Saint John the Evangelist Parish, which was a German national parish. His mother was of German descent and his father is of Slovenian descent.
Bishop Malesic is a 1978 graduate of Central Dauphin East High School, Harrisburg, and attended Lebanon Valley College in Annville as a biology major for three years prior to entering the seminary. In 1981 he was accepted into the seminary program at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy in 1983. He continued his theological studies at the Josephinum and was awarded a master of divinity degree in 1987.
Bishop William H. Keeler, then the bishop of Harrisburg, ordained him to the diaconate on May 24, 1986, and to the priesthood on May 30, 1987, at Saint Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg.
Bishop Malesic served in various pastoral assignments in the Diocese of Harrisburg. He was the assistant pastor of Saint Theresa Parish, New Cumberland (1987-89); and the assistant pastor of Saint Rose of Lima Parish, York (1989-92). While in York he also served as the Catholic campus minister of York College of Pennsylvania.
He was appointed to full time campus ministry in 1992 and served for four years at Millersville University. In 1993 he was also appointed to campus ministry at Franklin and Marshall College in nearby Lancaster.
In 1996, Bishop Nicholas C. Dattilo sent him to study canon law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Bishop Malesic received his licentiate in canon law in 1998 and served the Diocese of Harrisburg’s Tribunal in various capacities, including auditor, adjutant judicial vicar and secretary for canonical services. He was appointed judicial vicar in 2006, a position he held when he was named Bishop of Greensburg. He is a member of the Canon Law Society of America and is Secretary of the Eastern Regional Conference of Canonists.
He resided at Saint Margaret Mary Parish in Harrisburg (1996-2000) and at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Mechanicsburg (2000-04). While living in Mechanicsburg, Bishop Malesic also served the spiritual needs of the students of Messiah College in Dillsburg.
On April 1, 2004, Bishop Malesic was appointed to Holy Infant Parish in York Haven as administrator; he was appointed pastor there December 22, 2004. He guided the parish for 11 years and oversaw the relocation and initial construction of a new church and parish center, which was completed in 2016.
While assigned as a priest in the Diocese of Harrisburg, Bishop Malesic served on the a number of boards, committees and organizations.
As Bishop of Greensburg, he was a member of the Board of Governors of the PCC. He also served on the Boards of Saint Vincent Seminary and Saint Vincent College, Seton Hill University, Greensburg, and he was on the executive committee of Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania.
On June 29, 2017, Bishop Malesic released his first pastoral letter, “A Pastoral Letter on the Drug Abuse Crisis: From Death and Despair to Life and Hope,” in response to the opioid epidemic in the region. In it, he called on the people of the diocese to take action against the opioid scourge and outlined diocesan and parish efforts focused on prayer, education and cooperative actions with social service agencies already engaged in the fight against addiction.
