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 On November 21, 1995, Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Saltarelli to be the Eighth Bishop of the See of Wilmington. The Bishop established seven priorities for the Diocese of Wilmington:
1. To conduct an aggressive campaign throughout the Diocese to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life
2. To develop and implement a comprehensive pastoral plan for ministry to hispanic people
3. To assess diocesan offices and ministries to assure efficiency and effectiveness
4. To establish new parishes and schools
5. To explore models of parish ministry closely examining the role of the clergy and the laity in these models
6. To evangelize the unchurched and alienated African American community
7. To develop and implement a comprehensive plan for ministry on college campuses
Bishop Saltarelli is presiding over an era of expansion and growth in the Diocese of Wilmington. A three-year capital campaign Bringing the Vision to Life addresses the needs of a growing diocesan family of nearly 200,000 to build, renovate and expand churches, schools and other facilities throughout the Diocese.
Bishop Saltarelli has made significant contributions on national Catholic discussions concerning the sanctity of human life in the womb and all its stages, the need to reach out to inactive Catholics, the need for a consistent use of the Catholic funeral rites and the importance of solid Catholic marriage preparation. Bishop Saltarelli's Pastoral Statement "How to Reach Inactive Catholics" was the lead contribution in the January 27, 2000 edition of Origins.
Bishop Saltarelli is an active member of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. He serves on the Bishop's Committee on the Laity, the Bishop's Committee on Religious Retirement and the Board of Trustees for Catholic Relief Services. From 1996-1999, he served on the United States Catholic Conference Committee on Education and the subcommittee on Catechesis. From 1997 to 2000, he served on the United States Catholic Conference Committee on African American Catholics.
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