BRIGHTON -- The Archdiocese of Boston announced Nov. 27 the appointment of F. Beirne Lovely, Jr. as general counsel. Lovely currently serves as a senior partner with the national law firm of Goodwin Procter LLP in its Boston office. He will be the first in-house general counsel for the archdiocese.

Chancellor James P. Mc-Donough said, “We are pleased that Beirne has agreed to join the archdiocese as general counsel. We believe that an in-house counsel having a broad-based legal background will best serve the archdiocese. Beirne’s distinguished and multifaceted career in private practice provides an exceptional foundation for management of legal matters involving the local Church.”

“I want to thank the cardinal for offering me the opportunity to serve the archdiocese,” said Lovely. “I am very honored and excited to have been chosen for this new and challenging endeavor. This is an important time in the life of our Church. I am committed to working in a collaborative manner with the entire archdiocesan community, including our clergy, religious, parishes, schools and laity, to help all of us meet the many diverse needs we share as Catholics.”

For many years the archdiocese has engaged Wilson D. Rogers Jr. as general counsel charged with handling almost all of its legal needs. The archdiocese will continue to use the Rogers Law Firm in a time of transition to in-house counsel and for additional legal services in the future.

Attorney Paul Sandman, a member of the archdiocese’s finance council and executive vice president, secretary and general counsel at Boston Scientific Corporation, chaired the search committee.

“I am pleased to have chaired this effort on behalf of the cardinal and the archdiocese. In Beirne the archdiocese has hired an experienced attorney who possesses a strong legal background, a deep commitment to the good works of the Church, and the ability to satisfy many varied legal needs,” Sandman said.

Lovely, who resides with his wife Joan in Milton, starts with the archdiocese the first week of January 2008.