New Spokesman for Buffalo Catholic Diocese

There's probably not a worse time to take over the duties of the job, but Kathy Baranski Spangler is game.  She's been introduced as the new director of Communications for the Buffalo Catholic Diocese.  She begins her new position on Monday.

According to a release from the Diocese, Spangler was born and raised in the Buffalo area and is a Syracuse University graduate. She was president of her own communications company, worked as a special assistant for Jack Kemp when he was HUD Secretary, as a public affairs officer for Edwin Meese III at the U.S. Department of Justice, and as a staff assistant in the Reagan White House.

Most recently, she was director of Development at Christ the King School in Snyder. Prior to moving back to Buffalo, she served in the same position at two Christian schools in Colorado.

Spangler replaces George Richert who announced two weeks ago that his final day would be Friday, September 7th.

With so many recent sexual abuse allegations against priests in the Buffalo Catholic Diocese and urgent calls for Bishop Richard Malone to resign, Richert was the third top official to leave the Diocese headquarters in recent weeks.  The bishop's administrative assistant and his vicar general have also resigned.  Spangler likely will have to wade thru a lot of mud and muck before things settle down, unless more allegations are revealed.