"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

St. Paul opens most of his letters with these words, and I can think of no better greeting for my brothers and sisters, the priests, deacons, religious and laity of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

It is humbling to be called by the Holy Father to serve as the Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Relying upon the help of God and the prayers of the People of God, I have accepted the nomination. I am grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for the confidence he places in me. I take both inspiration and consolation in the words he addressed to the bishops during his pastoral visit to the United States earlier this year: "If we open ourselves through prayer to the Spirit, He will give us the gifts we need to carry out our daunting task, so that we need never be anxious how to speak or what to say."

I also look forward to coming to know all of you as we work together to build the city of God in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, always acknowledging that "unless the Lord builds the house, in vain do the builders labor." I ask for your prayers as I embark on my new ministry among you.

Before closing, I want to thank my family, my late father Edward, my mother Eleanor, my three sisters and two brothers and their children and grandchildren for their love and support. I also want to thank the priests, deacons, religious and laity of the Diocese of Duluth for their generous collaboration during the seven-and-a-half years that I served them as their bishop. In so many ways, they have inspired and shaped my ministry.

Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr

Coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati

October 17, 2008