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Bishop John Quinn Weitzel passes away after a short illness

Bishop John Quinn Weitzel and local Catholics
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Catholic community, which was already in mourning for the passing yesterday of retired Pope Benedict XVI woke up this morning to learn that  94-year old Bishop John Quinn Weitzel, who led the Diocese of Samoa Pago Pago for 29 years, had passed away yesterday, Dec. 30, 2022.

Bishop Peter Brown posted on Facebook saying, “With sadness I received news just now that our loved Bishop Quinn Weitzel passed away at his residence today at Maryknoll New York. He died peacefully after a short illness. He will have short service in New York then be buried with his mother in Chicago.

“Please pray for this true servant of God and his family and his Maryknoll family,” the Bishop said.

Bishop Weitzel was a Maryknoll Priest for 67 years, a Bishop for 36 years and served as Bishop of Pago Pago for 29 years.

The Vatican announced yesterday that Benedict died Saturday at his home in the Vatican at age 95. Pope Francis himself will celebrate Benedict’s funeral Mass on Thursday, closing out an unprecedented chapter in the history of the papacy with a reigning pope eulogizing a retired one.