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Biography
Peter Baldacchino (born December 5, 1960) is a Maltese-born Catholic bishop in the United States. Since July 23, 2019, he has been the Bishop of Las Cruces in New Mexico. He previously was an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Miami.
Early life and education
Baldacchino was born in Sliema, Malta. He was educated in Mount Carmel College, now Saint Elias College. While he was a student at the University of Malta he became interested in the Neocatechumenal Way.He earned a diploma in sciences from the University of Malta, electrical installation licenses from Umberto Calosso Trade School in Malta, and a bachelor of arts degree from Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, New Jersey. He attended the 1989 World Youth Day in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. While studying at the Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University he lived in community at the Neocatechumenal Way’s Redemptoris Mater Missionary House of Formation in Kearny, New Jersey. He received a master of divinity degree from Seton Hall.Baldacchino was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Newark on May 25, 1996, by Archbishop Theodore McCarrick.He holds dual citizenship in both the United States and Malta.
Priest
After ordination, Baldacchino served as the parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Ridgewood, New Jersey, from1996 to 1999. He was assigned as the chancellor of the Roman Catholic Mission Sui Iuris of Turks and Caicos in 1999.In 2002 he became the pastor of Our Lady of Providence Church on Providenciales Island.Pope Benedict XVI named Baldacchino a Chaplain of His Holiness, with the title of Monsignor.He is fluent in English, Italian, Maltese, Spanish and Creole.
Episcopacy
Auxiliary Bishop of Miami
Pope Francis named Baldacchino the titular Bishop of Vatarba and an auxiliary bishop of Miami on February 20, 2014. He was consecrated on March 19, 2014, by Archbishop Thomas Wenski. Archbishops Patrick Pinder of Nassau and Charles Dufour of Kingston in Jamaica were the principal co-consecrators.
Bishop of Las Cruces
On May 15, 2019, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Las Cruces. He is the first prelate associated with the Neocatechumenal Way named to head a U.S. diocese.He was installed on July 23, 2019.