Early life and education

Christopher Coyne was born on June 17, 1958, in Woburn, Massachusetts to Rita and Bill Coyne.^[1] He attended public schools in Woburn, graduating from Woburn Memorial High School in 1976. In 1980, Coyne received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from University of Massachusetts Lowell in Lowell, Massachusetts.^[2] For two years after graduation, Coyne worked as a bartender.^[2] In 1986,Coyne graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from St. John's Seminary in Boston.

Priesthood

On June 7, 1986, Coyne was ordained a priest for Archdiocese of Boston by Cardinal Bernard Law. Coyne's first assignment was as parochial vicar for St. Mary of the Hills Parish in Milton, Massachusetts, staying there until 1989.^[2][1] In 1992, he earned his Licentiate in Sacred Theology and in 1994 his Doctor of Sacred Liturgy degree from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome.^[1][2] In 1994, Coyne was appointed director of the pre-theology program at St. John's Seminary. In 2004, he became an adjunct faculty member there.^[2] Coyne became director for the archdiocesan Office of Worship in 2000.

In 2002, Coyne became cabinet secretary for communications and archdiocesan spokesman in the middle of the sex abuse scandal in the archdiocese. According to Coyne, he turned down two prior offers for the position from Law, and on accepting the job, Coyne said he told Law that he would not lie or disparage victims and wanted full access to archdiocese records.^[3]

In 2002, Coyne was appointed pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Newton, Massachusetts. His appointment raised controversy in the parish because Coyne had been the archdiocesan spokesman under Law, who had replaced a former pastor for speaking out against him.^[4][2] On February 1, 2003, after serving four months in Our Lady, Coyne requested a transfer to another parish from Archbishop Sean O'Malley.^[5] In 2006, O'Malley transferred Coyne to Saint Margaret Mary Parish in Westwood, Massachusetts

Auxiliary Bishop of Indianapolis

In January 2011, Pope Benedict XVI named Coyne as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and titular bishop of Mopta. On March 2, 2011, he was consecrated in St. John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis. Coyne was the first auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese since 1933.^[6] Also in March 2011, Coyne was named vicar general, a post he would hold until 2016.^[2]

On September 21, 2011, Coyne was appointed the apostolic administrator for the archdiocese by Benedict XVI. This was due to the early retirement of Archbishop Daniel Buechlein due to ill health.^[7] Coyne served as apostolic administrator until the installation of Archbishop Joseph Tobin in 2012. In November 2014, Coyne was elected chair of the Committee on Communication of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).^[8]

Bishop of Burlington

On December 22, 2014, Pope Francis named Coyne as Bishop of the Diocese of Burlington.^[9] His installation occurred on January 29, 2015.^[10]

On September 28, 2016, Coyne waived the non-disclosure agreements for all sexual abuse victims from St. Joseph's Orphanage in Burlington who had settled lawsuits against the diocese. He said that he wanted these victims to tell their abuse stories without fear of being sued.^[11] On December 17, 2020, Coyne apologized to the victims after the release of an investigative report by the State of Vermont that verified sexual abuse crimes at St. Joseph's:^[12]

I absolutely believe that children were abused at the orphanage. No one is contesting that at all. Any victim of abuse at the hands of clergy of the church is an awful thing and I can't apologize enough.

Coadjutor Archbishop of Hartford

On June 26, 2023, Pope Francis named him coadjutor archbishop of Hartford in Connecticut.^[13] He will serve as Administrator of Burlington until a new bishop is appointed. ^[14] He took up residence in Hartford with a Mass of Welcome on October 9, 2023.^[15]