By Elizabeth Mohr

St. Paul Pioneer Press

St. PAUL — By all accounts, the man appointed by the Vatican to help run the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is a well-liked, capable bishop.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda, 55, named Monday as apostolic administrator for the archdiocese, is known for his smile, his humility and intelligence.

Parishioners in the Twin Cities can expect Hebda, a Pittsburgh native, to approach the current challenges with compassion, said the Rev. Lou Vallone, a Pittsburgh priest who has known “Bernie” for about 30 years.

“People who have been frustrated by not being heard, he will pay attention to them. People who are kind of put off by standoffish attitudes or embattled attitudes will not find that in him. They’ll find him warm and welcoming,” Vallone said.

Hebda’s appointment was announced at the same time the Vatican accepted the resignations of Archbishop John Nienstedt, who had been at the helm of the archdiocese since 2007, and Bishop Lee Piche, who was named auxiliary bishop in 2009.

Their resignations came 10 days after the Ramsey County attorney’s office filed criminal charges and a civil petition against the archdiocese for allegedly protecting a priest who abused children.

The archdiocese is also in the midst of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which will likely result in a settlement to victims of clergy sexual abuse.

Hebda has served since 2013 as coadjutor bishop in the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., and is slated to succeed current Archbishop John Myers upon Myers’ July 2016 retirement.

A canon and civil lawyer, Hebda has an impressive resume — an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a law degree from Columbia Law School — and was appointed to his Newark post at a time when that diocese was also facing criticism for Myers’ handling of abusive priests.

“He has a great reputation,” said Jennifer Haselberger, the Twin Cities archdiocese’s former chancellor for canonical affairs who became the primary whistleblower of its alleged misconduct. “I also think he has a reputation for having a lot of skills regarding financing, so I think everything he brings to the situation is exactly what we need as the archdiocese attempts to deal not only with the civil petition and pending criminal charges, but also the ongoing bankruptcy.”

Hebda has worked as a priest in Pittsburgh and served as bishop in the Gaylord diocese in Michigan. He also served for 13 years on the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, which interprets canon law.

Hebda caught a bit of fire in New Jersey last year when he came to the defense of Myers, who is building a lavish retirement home on the archdiocese’s dime — $500,000 for a 3,000-square-foot addition to a 4,500-square foot-home valued at $776,000.

Hebda, who lives in a two-bedroom dormitory on the campus of Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., urged people to look at the positive work Myers has done over the years.