The Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese, the nation’s...

The Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese, the nation’s most populous diocese and with an archbishop highly involved in civic and church affairs, has named a veteran public relations director for the Los Angeles Unified School District as its spokesman to the news media.

William Rivera, 60, a layman, will assume the post of director of public affairs for the archdiocese on Sept. 1, nearly three years after Roger M. Mahony was installed as archbishop.

Although Mahony had cited improved media relations as one of his priorities after his installation, the appointment is one of the last of Mahony’s organizational changes at the complex of chancery offices on 9th Street.

Rivera said his job will be to generate frequent releases to news media, and with the help of a staff member to service Spanish-language news media.

He is currently special assistant for communications to the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, and he has been in public relations positions with the school headquarters since 1954. Before that he was public relations director for the old Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League.

Currently president of the Catholic Press Council of Southern California, Rivera has been active with his wife, Patricia, in the church-related Marriage Encounter programs. They have seven children; a son, John, is a Carmelite brother who is studying theology.

Father Joseph Battaglia, who had been director of communications for the archdiocese, went on sabbatical leave at the start of June and will be assigned to another post upon his return, according to Capuchin Father Gregory Coiro, interim director.

PEOPLE

Patriarch Nasrallah Peter Sfeir, 68, spiritual leader of the Maronite Catholics throughout the world, wil celebrate Mass at 11 a.m. Sunday in Our Lady of Mount Lebanon-St. Peter’s Church in Los Angeles. The Lebanon-based patriarch, who conferred with U.S. officials in Washington on his views of crises in that country, was elected two years ago to his post as head of the Eastern Rite church, which is affiliated with Rome.

Howard B. Anderson, 60, a broadcasting executive, has been named president of the 3,300-member Los Angeles Stake (diocese) of the Mormon Church, succeeding William W. Tanner, who served in the post for 10 years.

MEDIA

Trinity Broadcasting Network, the Tustin-based religious enterprise known for its predominantly charismatic and conservative Protestant programming, has reached an agreement with United Methodist Communications to carry the mainline denomination’s “Catch the Spirit” program.