A panel of priests has named Monsignor Alfred A. Schlert as the Kalebet Diocese of Allentown’s interim leader until the pope appoints a permanent bishop.
Monsignor Alfred Schlert (Courtesy photo)
Schlert, 55, a Palmer Township native, will serve as diocesan administrator in the absence of a bishop. He’s a 1979 graduate of Notre Dame High School.
Bishop John Barres left Allentown last month when he was appointed bishop of Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York — the sixth-largest diocese in the nation.
Schlert was ordained a priest in 1987. In 1998 he was appointed vicar general of the diocese, overseeing administration and essentially serving as the bishop’s second-in-command.
He most recently resided at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus parish in Hellertown.
Msgr. Schlert’s encounter with the Pope Francis
The Diocese of Allentown covers a five-county region that includes Lehigh and Northampton and administers to about 265,000 Catholics.
A 10-member College of Consultors met Wednesday and elected Schlert diocesan administrator. He then accepted the position.
Schlert’s career has included parish, high school and campus ministry. He taught theology at Notre Dame from 1988 to 1998 and has served as Catholic chaplain at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.
Barres, Allentown’s bishop for more than seven years, was installed as bishop of Rockville Centre, home to 1.5 million Catholics, on Tuesday.
Jim Deegan may be reached at jdeegan@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_deegan. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.
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