Rev. John Chadwick Named Vicar General of Archdiocese of Newark
Reverend John Chadwick Named Vicar General of Archdiocese of Newark
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, today announced that he has appointed Reverend John J. Chadwick, S.T.D., to the post of Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Newark. Father Chadwick, currently Rector of the College Seminary of the Immaculate Conception at St. Andrew’s Hall since 2014, will assume the post of Vicar General on August 1, 2020.
Father Chadwick replaces Reverend Monsignor Thomas P. Nydegger, who has generously served as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia since September 2014. Since his ordination to the priesthood in 1992, he has held several significant positions in the Archdiocese of Newark, including Secretary to the Archbishop, Director of Vocations, and Vice-Chancellor/Assistant to the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia. He has accepted the appointment as Pastor of St. Helen’s Church in Westfield, where he currently serves as a weekend assistant. His appointment is effective July 15, 2020. He will replace Rev. Michael A. Saporito, who was named an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese in February 2020.
In his new role, Father Chadwick will assist Cardinal Tobin in the governance of the archdiocese, with a special interest in the pastoral life of this local Church. The Vicar General is the principal deputy of the Archbishop for the exercise of administrative authority within the Archdiocese. The office requires that a priest appointed as Vicar General should be known for sound doctrine, integrity, prudence, and practical experience, and well versed in both canon law and theology.
When he announced the appointment, Cardinal Tobin said, “Father Chadwick has proven his competence, wisdom, and dedication in his various assignments in the Archdiocese over the past 25 years. I am confident that he will serve well in the Office of Vicar General and I look forward to ministering with him in service of this local Church.”
Father Chadwick, a Glen Rock native, attended both Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University and the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from the Pontificia Università Gregoriana and was ordained a priest for service to the Archdiocese of Newark in 1995.
After a summer assignment as a parochial vicar at St. Michael’s Parish in Palisades Park, he continued his studies in Rome through the Pontifical North American College, completing a licentiate in sacred theology in 1996 from the Pontificio Ateneo San Anselmo.
Upon his return to the Archdiocese in 1996, Father Chadwick served as parochial vicar of St. Catherine of Siena Church, Cedar Grove, and St. Agnes Church, Clark. From 2006 to 2009, he was assigned to the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, OH as Director of Formation for Pre-Theology, and Director of Liturgy. In addition, he taught theology classes on the undergraduate and graduate levels, specializing in courses on liturgical and sacramental theology.
In 2009, Father Chadwick returned to the Archdiocese of Newark, serving as the Director of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). In Fall 2011, he completed a doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontificio Ateneo San Anselmo and joined the Immaculate Conception Seminary/School of Theology at Seton Hall as an assistant professor of Systematic Theology. During the summer of 2014, Father Chadwick was appointed Rector of the College Seminary of the Immaculate Conception at St. Andrew’s Hall.
Father Chadwick previously served on the Archdiocesan Theological Commission and the Permanent Diaconate Task Force. He is a member of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission and celebrates weekend Masses at Notre Dame Parish, North Caldwell.
“I am grateful and honored by Cardinal Tobin’s confidence in me, and trust that the Holy Spirit will guide me in my new and challenging responsibilities,” Father Chadwick said about his new appointment. “I have no doubt that Christ will make himself known through this important ministry to the people of the Archdiocese.”