Robert E. Guglielmone

Robert Guglielmone was born on December 30, 1945, in New York City to Frank and Caroline Guglielmone. One of three children, he has two brothers, Nicholas and Tito Guglielmone. The family moved to Long Island in New York when he was a child. Guglielmone graduated from a Catholic high school there in 1964. He then attended St. John's University in Queens, where he obtained a Bachelor of Education degree.

Guglielmone taught business at Patchogue-Medford High School in Medford, New York, for five years while working on a graduate degree at New York University.[1]Guglielmone entered Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, New York, during the 1970s, earning a Master of Divinity degree in 1977.[1]

Guglielmone was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop John McGann for the Diocese of Rockville Centre on April 8, 1978.[2] After his ordination, Guglielmone served as assistant pastor at St. Martin of Tours Parish in Amityville, New York, and at St. James Parish in Setauket, New York. In 1986, he was named director of pastoral formation and dean of seminarians at Immaculate Conception Seminary. [1]

Guglielmone was appointed pastor of St. Frances de Chantal Parish in Wantagh, New York, in 1993, and was raised by the Vatican to the rank of monsignor in 1996.

In 2003, after the publication of a grand jury report on the handling of sexual abuse cases in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Bishop William Murphy named Guglielmone as the diocesan director of clergy personnel. He was appointed rector of St. Agnes Cathedral in 2007.

Guglielmone is known for his substantial involvement in Scouting. He started his scouting career as camp chaplain at Onteora Scout Reservation in Livingston Manor, New York, during his time as a seminarian. As a priest, he served as scout chaplain for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, then for New York State and then as chaplain for the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. Guglielmone served an eight-year term as chaplain of the International Catholic Conference on Scouting and as the Vatican's global liaison to scouting programs.[1]

Guglielmone received the Silver Beaver Award from the Suffolk County Council. He is member the Order of the Arrow. He was inducted as a "Vigil Honor" member, the third and final degree of membership, in 1985. Guglielmone's "Vigil Name" is "Nekama Auwen Allohumasin Lilenowag An Unt," which was interpreted as "He Who Exemplifies God's Law."[3] He received the Silver Antelope Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 2004.[4] The National Catholic Committee on Scouting recognized Guglielmone with its Brother Barnabas Founders Award and in its first class of Silver Saint George Emblem recipients in 1998.[5] In 2012, he received the Silver Buffalo Award.[1]

On January 24, 2009, Guglielmone was appointed as the 13th bishop of the Diocese of Charleston by Pope Benedict XVI. He received his episcopal consecration on March 25, 2009, from Cardinal Edward Egan, with Bishops Murphy and Robert Baker serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston.[6][2]

Guglielmone on March 29, 2019 published a list of priests, deacons, seminarians and members of religious orders within the diocese with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors.[7]

On August 14, 2019, Guglielmone was sued in New York State by a man claiming Guglielmone sexually abused him at age eight. The abuse allegedly took place between 1978 and 1979 at St. Martin of Tours Church in Amityville when Guglielmone was assistant pastor there. Guglielmone denied the allegations. The Diocese of Rockville Centre investigated the allegation and found it not credible.[8] On December 8, 2020, the Vatican concluded its own investigation and determined Guglielmone to be innocent of the charges.[9]

Guglielmone submitted his letter of resignation as bishop of Charleston to Pope Francis in December 2020 at the mandatory age of 75. It was not accepted at that time.

On August 9, 2021, Guglielmone temporarily suspended Reverend Wilbroad Mwape, the pastor at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Greenville, South Carolina. A female parishioner had sued Mwape, claiming he manipulated her into a sexual relationship at Holy Trinity Parish in Orangeburg, South Carolina.[10] In December 2021, without commenting on the allegations, Guglielmone returned Mwape to St. Anthony.[11]

In November 2021, Guglielmone banned his priests from conducting confirmations or the anointing of the sick using the Roman Missal that predated the Second Vatican Council reforms. He also restricted the practice of the Tridentine Mass within the diocese. These steps followed the publication by Pope Francis of Traditionis custodes, which set new rules on these liturgies.[12]

On February 22, 2022, Francis accepted Gugliemone's resignation as Bishop of Charlesto .[2]