Catholic bishops' conference names new chair, members for abuse watchdog panel

Washinton, USA - The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has named a new chairwoman and new members to the National Review Board, which the hierarchy established in 2002 to monitor its implementation of reforms to stem priestly molestation.

Bishop William Skylstad appointed as chairwoman Patricia O'Donnell Ewers, a board member who is an educational consultant and was the first woman president of New York's Pace University. She was previously an administrator at DePaul University in Chicago. Ewers succeeds Nicholas Cafardi, dean of the Duquesne University law school, who is leaving the board.

Skylstad named four new board members for terms running till 2008:

_Thomas DeStefano, formerly executive director of Brooklyn (N.Y.) Catholic Charities and interim president of Catholic Charities USA.

_William McGarry, president of Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass., and formerly an administrator at Springfield College, Albright College and Rider University.

_Joseph Rhode, a physician in Midland, Texas, who serves on the parallel review board in the San Angelo Diocese.

_Milann Siegfried, a Tulsa, Okla., philanthropist married to industrialist Ray Siegfried, an outgoing board member.

Leaving the board in addition to Ray Siegfried and Cafardi are Alice Bourke Hayes, former president of the University of San Diego, and New York City attorney Pamela Hayes.