Today, Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, D.D., Archbishop of Philadelphia, ordained Most Reverend Keith J. Chylinski, Most Reverend Christopher R. Cooke, And Most Reverend Efren V. Esmilla to the Episcopacy at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, in front of a capacity congregation.
Most Reverend John J. McIntyre, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, and Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, and former Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, were the Co-Consecrators. His Eminence, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America, presented the Papal Bulls (official public decrees) proclaiming the new auxiliary bishops.
The role of an auxiliary bishop is to assist the diocesan bishop by sharing in his pastoral and administrative work and to act in his name. Like all bishops, auxiliaries are successors to the Apostles.
These bishops are the 28th, 29th, and 30th auxiliary bishops in the history of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. They will join Most Reverend John J. McIntyre, who has served in that capacity since 2010, and succeed recently retired Auxiliary Bishops Most Reverend Edward M. Deliman and Most Reverend Michael J. Fitzgerald, along with Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior, who had served as an Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia from 2009 until the summer of 2023 when he was appointed the 12th Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg by Pope Francis.
Archbishop Pérez introduced the new Auxiliary Bishops at a news conference held at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (December 8, 2023). At that time remarked, “My ministry as Archbishop would be impossible without the dedicated service of auxiliary bishops. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a large, vibrant, and richly diverse Church, and no one person can do this work alone. A lot of help is needed every day. Having a full complement of auxiliary bishops is essential for a Church of our size and magnitude. Like every Bishop, they are successors of the Apostles Their apostolic presence and episcopal charism nourishes the Church in a very unique way.
Archbishop Pérez continued, “I’ve known and worked with these new bishops for many years. They are men of great faith, of great humility, and of great pastoral as well as administrative experience. And they have zealous hearts—zealous hearts to serve as Missionary Disciples for Jesus Christ. I’ve witnessed the transformational impact of their priestly ministry here in Philadelphia among many different people. So, we are abundantly blessed by these three gifts. I want to thank, of course, the Divine Providence of the Holy Spirit that has guided this process, and thank Pope Francis, for taking care of the pastoral needs of the Church of Philadelphia by appointing these three wonderful men.
Biographical Information Regarding Bishop Keith J. Chylinski
Bishop Keith J. Chylinski was born on July 23, 1971 to Edmund Chylinski and the late Kelly Donovan. A native of Schenectady, New York, he attended West Woods Elementary and Middle School in Hamden, Connecticut, and Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.
Prior to entering the program of priestly formation at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Temple University. While studying at the Seminary, he earned a Master of Divinity Degree in 2006 and a Master of Arts Degree in 2007. He was ordained to the Priesthood by Cardinal Justin Rigali on May 19, 2007.
Bishop Chylinski served as Parochial Vicar of Saint Anselm Parish (Philadelphia) from 2007 to 2011; Parochial Vicar of Mary Mother of the Redeemer Parish (North Wales) from 2011 to 2012; and a faculty member at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary from 2014 to 2022. He also served as a Board Member of the Council of Priests from 2009 to 2011 and assisted with weekend ministry at Saint Joseph Parish (Downingtown) from 2014 to 2017. He has served as a weekend assistant at Saint Alphonsus Parish (Maple Glen) since 2017.
Since 2022, Bishop Chylinski has served as the Rector of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary.
Explanation of Bishop Chylinski’s Coat of Arms
In designing the shield—the central element in what is formally called the heraldic achievement—a Bishop has an opportunity to depict symbolically various aspects of his own life and heritage, and particular aspects of Catholic faith and devotion. The formal description of a coat of arms, known as the blazon, uses a technical language, derived from medieval French and English terms, which allows the appearance and position of each element in the achievement to be recorded precisely.
The symbolism of Bishop Chylinski’s coat of arms begins with the colors (tinctures) in which the background (the field) is painted. The shield is divided into three sections, painted blue (azure), red (gules) and green (vert). The same division of the shield appears in the coat of arms of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook, the archdiocesan seminary founded in Philadelphia in 1832. Bishop Chylinski is an alumnus of Saint Charles Borromeo, and at the time of his appointment as auxiliary bishop, was in his tenth year of service on its faculty, and his second year as Rector.
Bishop Chylinski also intends the three-part division of the shield to recall the Holy Family of Jesus (red), Mary (blue) and Joseph (green.)
At the center of the shield appears a representation of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, painted gold (Or). “The priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus,” wrote Saint John Marie Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, and this sentiment has guided Bishop Chylinski in his priesthood and in his work forming seminarians as future priests. It is also reflected in the motto he has chosen to accompany the coat of arms: Dabo vobis cor novum, “I will give you a new heart” (Ezekiel 36:26).
The image of the Heart of Christ is surrounded by four crosses pattée, sometimes referred to as Maltese crosses. The coat of arms traditionally born by the Chylinski family in Poland has one of these crosses, as well as a horseshoe, in gold.
Four of them are used here; in conjunction with the wounded Sacred Heart, they recall the stigmata, the wounds in Christ’s hands and feet. In his ministry as a counselor (he earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, now Divine Mercy University); as national chaplain of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association (2018-22); as director of counseling services for Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary; and as a member of the Archbishop’s Commission on Racial Healing, he desires to keep in view the wounds of the Savior, for “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
The crosses also call to mind Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio, the twentieth-century Italian Capuchin friar and priest who bore the wounds of Christ in his body. Bishop Chylinski has long been devoted to Saint Pio, and entrusted his vocation to the saint’s intercession many years ago.
The shield itself is ensigned with external elements that identify the bearer as a bishop. A gold processional cross appears behind the shield. Bishop Chylinski has placed a blue gem at the center of the Cross as a tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary, particularly under her title of The Immaculate Conception. Bishop Chylinski’s appointment as an auxiliary bishop was published on her solemn feast day, December 8, 2023.
He has also placed a scallop shell at the node where the Cross meets the pole, to allude to Saint James the Greater. The Bishop’s middle name is James, and in 2017, on the tenth anniversary of his priestly ordination, Bishop Chylinski walked the 500-mile Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route that stretches from the border with France across northern Spain, and terminates at the shrine of Saint James the Greater (Santiago in Spanish) near the north-west Spanish coast. Medieval pilgrims began the tradition of taking a scallop shell from the beaches near the shrine and affixing it to their cloaks or walking sticks to show that they had completed the pilgrimage.
The galero or “pilgrim’s hat” is used heraldically in various colors and with specific numbers of tassels to indicate the rank of a bearer of a coat of arms. A bishop uses a green galero with three rows of green tassels.
Biographical Information Regarding Bishop Christopher R. Cooke
Bishop Christopher R. Cooke was born on November 8, 1973 to Randall Cooke and Mary Lou Cooke and grew up in Saint Vincent de Paul Parish (Richboro). Prior to entering the program of priestly formation at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Bishop Cooke earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 1996. He then worked in the field of chemical manufacturing and design. While studying at the Seminary, he earned a Master of Divinity Degree in 2005 and a Master of Arts Degree in 2006. He was ordained to the Priesthood by Cardinal Justin Rigali on May 20, 2006.
Bishop Cooke served as Parochial Vicar of Saint Eleanor Parish (Collegeville) from 2006 to 2008; Parochial Vicar of Saint Martin of Tours Parish (Philadelphia) from 2008 to 2012; Parochial Administrator of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish (Norristown) from 2012-2013; and Director of the Spirituality Year Program at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary from 2013 to 2021. Bishop Cooke also served as a Board Member of the Archdiocesan Council of Priests from 2011 to 2014.
Since 2021 he has served as the Dean of Men for the Theological Seminary at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary.
Explanation of Bishop Cooke’s Coat of Arms
In designing the shield—the central element in what is formally called the heraldic achievement—a Bishop has an opportunity to depict symbolically various aspects of his own life and heritage, and particular aspects of Catholic faith and devotion. The formal description of a coat of arms, known as the blazon, uses a technical language, derived from medieval French and English terms, which allows the appearance and position of each element in the achievement to be recorded precisely.
The ordinary or main charge on Bishop Cooke’s shield is an X-shape, known as a saltire. It is often associated with Saint Andrew the Apostle, because the traditional accounts of the saint’s martyrdom relate that he was crucified stretched on an X-shaped wooden cross.
A pivotal point in Bishop Cooke’s spiritual life was a thirty-day retreat he made following the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, during which his meditations often focused on the role of Saint Andrew as related in the Gospel of John. Although Andrew was himself called first by the Lord, he immediately went to find his brother, Simon Peter, and led him to Jesus. Bishop Cooke sees in this a model of missionary discipleship, in which one’s own relationship with the Lord inspires and impels one to lead others to Him. This commitment to missionary discipleship is reflected also in the motto that Bishop Cooke has placed below the shield, Invenimus Messiam, which are the words of Saint Andrew to his brother: “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41).
The unique coloration of the saltire is an allusion to the Bishop’s family name. Cooke is an Anglicization of the Bishop’s paternal grandfather’s Polish surname, Kucharski, from the Polish noun kucharz, cook. Gold mascles, open diamond-like shapes, on a background of red (gules) create a brick-like pattern reminiscent of an oven at full heat – alluding both to the workplace of the cook, and the burning zeal of a disciple filled with the Holy Spirit.
Smaller charges on the shield refer to aspects of the Bishop’s priestly preparation, life and ministry. At the top of the shield (in chief) appears a five-pointed star painted white (a mullet argent). This symbol is used frequently in heraldry to represent the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in fact the Bishop’s home Archdiocese of Philadelphia includes a star in the same place and coloration in its coat of arms.
At the bottom of the shield (in base) is a gold crown in the form of an open ring of fleurs-de-lis. Such a crown appears in the family coat of arms of Saint Charles Borromeo (1538 – 1584). A Cardinal of the Church and the Archbishop of Milan, Saint Charles was a member of one of the most ancient and wealthy noble families in Lombardy, yet on his coat of arms was the single word, humilitas, “humility,” ensigned with this crown. This charge has a prominent place on the coat of arms of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook, the archdiocesan seminary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Bishop Cooke is an alumnus of Saint Charles, and has served on its faculty for many years, as director of the Spirituality Year program from 2013 to 2021, and since then as Dean of Men for the Theological Seminary.
The shield itself is ensigned with external elements that identify the bearer as a bishop. A gold processional cross appears behind the shield. The galero or “pilgrim’s hat” is used heraldically in various colors and with specific numbers of tassels to indicate the rank of a bearer of a coat of arms. A bishop uses a green galero with three rows of green tassels.
Biographical Information Regarding Bishop Efren V. Esmilla
Bishop Efren V. Esmilla was born on June 18, 1962 to the late Cristobal and Crispina Esmilla. Prior to entering the program of priestly formation at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from San Beda College in Manila, The Philippines, in 1984. While studying at the Seminary, he earned a Master of Divinity Degree in 1992. He was ordained to the Priesthood by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua on May 15, 1993.
Bishop Esmilla served as Parochial Vicar of Saint John Chrysostom Parish (Wallingford) from 1993 to 2001; Parochial vicar of Maternity B.V.M. Parish (Philadelphia) from 2001 to 2003; Assistant Director of Pastoral and Apostolic Formation and Priest Faculty Member at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary from 2003 to 2004; Director of the Spirituality Year Program at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary from 2004 to 2005; Parochial Vicar of Saint Martha Parish (Philadelphia) from 2005 to 2006; and Pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish (Philadelphia) from 2006 to 2020.
Since 2020, Bishop Esmilla has served as Pastor of Saint James Parish (Elkins Park). He also has served as the Spiritual Director for the Legion of Mary (Holy Family Curia) since 2001; Chaplain of the Archdiocesan Filipino Apostolate since 2005; and Pastor of Saint Martin of Tours Parish (Philadelphia) since 2021.
Additionally, Bishop Esmilla served as Regional Dean of Deanery 12 (Lower Northeast Philadelphia) from 2017 to 2022; Adjunct Spiritual Director at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary from 2017 to 2020; and Parochial Administrator of Saint Martin of Tours Parish (Philadelphia) from May 2021 to October 2021.
Explanation of Bishop Esmilla’s Coat of Arms
In designing the shield—the central element in what is formally called the heraldic
achievement—a Bishop has an opportunity to depict symbolically various aspects of his own life and heritage, and particular aspects of Catholic faith and devotion. The formal description of a coat of arms, known as the blazon, uses a technical language, derived from medieval French and English terms, which allows the appearance and position of each element in the achievement to be recorded precisely.
Bishop Esmilla’s coat of arms reflects his heritage by being divided into sections of red (gules), white (argent) and blue (azure). Along with gold (Or), these are the colors of the flag of The Philippines, where Bishop Esmilla was born, and of the flag of the United States of America, where he was ordained deacon, priest and, now, bishop.
At the top of the shield (in chief) appears a raven in flight (volant). This alludes to the Diocese of San Pablo, in the province of Laguna, The Philippines, where Bishop Esmilla was born and grew up. The diocese is named for Saint Paul the First Hermit, and its coat of arms includes a raven with a loaf of bread in its beak, alluding to a miraculous event in the life of Saint Paul.
In Bishop Esmilla’s coat of arms, the raven’s beak holds a pomegranate. This fruit is typically depicted bursting open and displaying its many seeds, symbolizing the Passion of the Lord. As Saint Bernard of Clairvaux wrote, “It is as if God the Father sent upon the earth a purse full of his mercy. The purse was burst open during the Lord’s passion to pour forth its hidden contents – the price of our redemption. It was only a small purse, but it was very full” (First Sermon on the Epiphany of the Lord). It also alludes to the Bishop’s surname, which derives from the Spanish word semilla, or “seed.”
In its feet the raven holds a flaying knife, a traditional symbol of the apostle Saint Bartholomew. The story of the passion of that saint says that, among his tortures, his skin was flayed from his body while he was alive. The knife alludes here to the Bishop’s childhood parish, Saint Bartholomew in Nagcarlan, in the province of Laguna.
To the bottom left (in dexter base), the shield is charged with a five-pointed star (a mullet) painted gold. This is meant to allude to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and particularly her Immaculate Conception. The primary patroness of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, and the archdiocesan coat of arms also has a star on a blue field, although in its case the star is painted white.
On the other side (in sinister base) is a depiction of the “Liberty Bell,” one of the most recognizable historical artifacts of the American Revolution, which is prominently housed and celebrated in the City of Philadelphia. Shortly after his ordination as a priest in 1993, Bishop Esmilla founded a prayer group for the Filipino community in Philadelphia. Called FIAT, for Filipinos In America Today, the group’s logo has the Liberty Bell as its centerpiece.
Fiat also refers to the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary in response to the Angel Gabriel at the moment of the Annunciation: Ecce ancilla Domini. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). The Bishop has chosen a motto for the coat of arms that expresses a similar sentiment: Sicut qui ministrat. It is also taken from the Gospel of Luke, this time from the words of the Lord Jesus at the Last Supper, when he told his apostles, “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27).
The shield itself is ensigned with external elements that identify the bearer as a bishop. A gold processional cross appears behind the shield. The galero or “pilgrim’s hat” is used heraldically in various colors and with specific numbers of tassels to indicate the rank of a bearer of a coat of arms. A bishop uses a green galero with three rows of green tassels.
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Editor’s Note: The Mass of Episcopal Ordination was streamed live to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Vimeo Channel and to Archbishop Pérez’s Facebook page. To watch a playback of the Mass, please visit https://vimeo.com/event/2470138.
Photos of the newly ordained Bishops and digital copies of their coats of arms are attached. All can be used for publication purposes with credit to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. For further information about the Archdiocese, please visit www.archphila.org.
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