Thursday, February 13, 2025

Louisiana Bishops oppose Louisiana Governor plan to resume death-row executions

 





The Catholic bishops of Louisiana today released the following statement on the plan approved by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to resume executions for death-row prisoners. The governor announced that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections had finalized an updated protocol to carry out executions using nitrogen hypoxia.
Statement of the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops
RE: Plan to Start Executions by Nitrogen Hypoxia in Louisiana
February 12, 2025
We are saddened by the recent notice to restart the process for the issuance of death warrants to execute human beings in Louisiana. This only contributes to the culture of death. We promote a culture of life, not death, in this great State we love. As bishops, we will continue to promote life from conception to natural death and work to end the execution of another human being.
Archbishop Gregory Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans
Most Rev. Michael G. Duca, Diocese of Baton Rouge
Most Rev. J. Douglas Deshotels, Diocese of Lafayette
Most Rev. Francis I. Malone, Diocese of Shreveport
Most Rev. Robert W. Marshall, Diocese of Alexandria
Most Rev. Glen John Provost, Diocese of Lake Charles
Very Rev. Simon Peter Engurait, Diocesan Administrator Houma-Thibodaux

And yes, there really is a Saint Valentine

 





St. Valentine

Feastday: February 14
Patron: of Love, Young People, Happy Marriages
Death: 269



Saint Valentine, officially known as Saint Valentine of Rome, is a third-century Roman saint widely celebrated on February 14 and commonly associated with "courtly love."

Although not much of St. Valentine's life is reliably known, and whether or not the stories involve two different saints by the same name is also not officially decided, it is highly agreed that St. Valentine was martyred and then buried on the Via Flaminia to the north of Rome.

In 1969, the Roman Catholic Church removed St. Valentine from the General Roman Calendar, because so little is known about him. However, the church still recognizes him as a saint, listing him in the February 14 spot of Roman Martyrolgy.

The legends attributed to the mysterious saint are as inconsistent as the actual identification of the man.

One common story about St. Valentine is that in one point of his life, as the former Bishop of Terni, Narnia and Amelia, he was on house arrest with Judge Asterius. While discussing religion and faith with the Judge, Valentine pledged the validity of Jesus. The judge immediately put Valentine and his faith to the test.

St. Valentine was presented with the judge's blind daughter and told to restore her sight. If he succeeded, the judge vowed to do anything for Valentine. Placing his hands onto her eyes, Valentine restored the child's vision.

Judge Asterius was humbled and obeyed Valentine's requests. Asterius broke all the idols around his house, fasted for three days and became baptized, along with his family and entire 44 member household. The now faithful judge then freed all of his Christian inmates.

St. Valentine was later arrested again for continuing to try to convert people to Christianity. He was sent to Rome under the emperor Claudius Gothicus (Claudius II). According to the popular hagiographical identity, and what is believed to be the first representation of St. Valentine, the Nuremberg Chronicle, St. Valentine was a Roman priest martyred during Claudius' reign. The story tells that St. Valentine was imprisoned for marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Both acts were considered serious crimes. A relationship between the saint and emperor began to grow, until Valentine attempted to convince Claudius of Christianity. Claudius became raged and sentenced Valentine to death, commanding him to renounce his faith or be beaten with clubs and beheaded.

St. Valentine refused to renounce his faith and Christianity and was executed outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269. However, other tales of St. Valentine's life claim he was executed either in the year 269, 270, 273 or 280. Other depictions of St. Valentine's arrests tell that he secretly married couples so husbands wouldn't have to go to war. Another variation of the legend of St. Valentine says he refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, was imprisoned and while imprisoned he healed the jailer's blind daughter. On the day of his execution, he left the girl a note signed, "Your Valentine."

Pope Julius I is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole in his memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate now called Porta del Popolo, formerly, Porta Valetini.

The romantic nature of Valentine's Day may have derived during the Middle Ages, when it was believed that birds paired couples in mid-February. According to English 18th-century antiquarians Alban Butler and Francis Douce, Valentine's Day was most likely created to overpower the pagan holiday, Lupercalia.

Although the exact origin of the holiday is not widely agreed upon, it is widely recognized as a day for love, devotion and romance.

Whoever he was, Valentine did really exist, because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to St. Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.

Relics of St. Valentine can be found all over the world. A flower-crowned skull of St. Valentine can be found in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. In 1836, other relics were exhumed from the catacombs of Saint Hippolytus on the Via Tiburtina and were identified as Valentine's. These were transported for a special Mass dedicated to those young and in love.

Fr. John Spratt received a gift from Pope Gregory XVI in 1836 contianing a "small vessel tinged" with St. Valentine's blood. This gift now stands placed in Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin, Ireland.

Other alleged relics were found in Prague in the Church of St Peter and Paul at Vysehrad; in the parish church of St. Mary's Assumption in Chelmno Poland; at the reliquary of Roquemaure in France; in the Stephansdom in Vienna; in Balzan in Malta and also in Blessed John Duns Scotus' church in the Gorbals area of Glasgow, Scotland.

St. Valentine is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, and young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses and his feast day is celebrated on February 14.

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The Saints of the Day for Friday

 

Sts. Cyril and Methodius





Cyril and Methodius must have often wondered, as we do today, how God could bring spiritual meaning out of worldly concerns. Every mission they went on, every struggle they fought was a result of political battles, not spiritual, and yet the political battles are forgotten and their work lives on in the Slavic peoples and their literature.

Tradition tells us that the brothers Methodius and Constantine (he did not take the name Cyril until just before his death) grew up in Thessalonica as sons of a prominent Christian family. Because many Slavic people settled in Thessalonica, it is assumed Constantine and Methodius were familiar with the Slavic language. Methodius, the older of the two brothers, became an important civil official who would have needed to know Slavonic. He grew tired of worldly affairs and retired to a monastery. Constantine became a scholar and a professor known as "the Philosopher" in Constantinople. In 860 Constantine and Methodius went as missionaries to what is today the Ukraine.

When the Byzantine emperor decided to honor a request for missionaries by the Moravian prince Rastislav, Methodius and Constantine were the natural choices; they knew the language, they were able administrators, and had already proven themselves successful missionaries.

But there was far more behind this request and the response than a desire for Christianity. Rastislav, like the rest of the Slav princes, was struggling for independence from German influence and invasion. Christian missionaries from the East, to replace missionaries from Germany, would help Rastislav consolidate power in his own country, especially if they spoke the Slavonic language.

Constantine and Methodius were dedicated to the ideal of expression in a people's native language. Throughout their lives they would battle against those who saw value only in Greek or Latin. Before they even left on their mission, tradition says, Constantine constructed a script for Slavonic -- a script that is known today as glagolithic. Glagolithic is considered by some as the precursor of cyrillic which named after him.

Arriving in 863 in Moravia, Constantine began translating the liturgy into Slavonic. In the East, it was a normal procedure to translate liturgy into the vernacular. As we know, in the West the custom was to use Greek and later Latin, until Vatican II. The German hierarchy, which had power over Moravia, used this difference to combat the brothers' influence. The German priests didn't like losing their control and knew that language has a great deal to do with independence.

So when Constantine and Methodius went to Rome to have the Slav priesthood candidates ordained (neither was a bishop at the time), they had to face the criticism the Germans had leveled against them. But if the Germans had motives that differed from spiritual concerns, so did the pope. He was concerned about the Eastern church gaining too much influence in the Slavic provinces. Helping Constantine and Methodius would give the Roman Catholic church more power in the area. So after speaking the brothers, the pope approved the use of Slavonic in services and ordained their pupils.

Constantine never returned to Moravia. He died in Rome after assuming the monastic robes and the name Cyril on February 14, 1869. Legend tells us that his older brother was so griefstricken, and perhaps upset by the political turmoil, that he intended to withdraw to a monastery in Constantinople. Cyril's dying wish, however, was that Methodius return to the missionary work they had begun.

He couldn't return to Moravia because of political problems there, but another Slavic prince, Kocel, asked for him, having admired the brothers' work in translating so much text into Slavonic. Methodius was allowed by the pope to continue saying Mass and administering baptism in the Slavonic tongue. Methodius was finally consecrated bishop, once again because of politics -- Kocel knew that having a Slavonic bishop would destroy the power of the Salzburg hierarchy over his land. Methodius became bishop of Sirmium, an ancient see near Belgrade and given power over Serbo-Croatian, Slovene, and Moravian territory.

The German bishops accused him of infringing on their power and imprisoned him in a monastery. This lasted until Germany suffered military defeats in Moravia. At that time the pope intervened and Methodius returned to his diocese in triumph at the same time the Germans were forced to recognize Moravian independence. There was a loss involved -- to appease the Germans a little, the pope told Methodius he could no longer celebrate liturgy in the vernacular.

In 879 Methodius was summoned to Rome to answer German charges he had not obeyed this restriction. This worked against the Germans because it gave Methodius a chance to explain how important it was to celebrate the liturgy in the tongue people understood. Instead of condemning him, the pope gave him permission to use Slavonic in the Mass, in Scripture reading, and in the office. He also made him head of the hierarchy in Moravia.

The criticism never went away, but it never stopped Methodius either. It is said that he translated almost all the Bible and the works of the Fathers of the Church into Slavonic before he died on April 6 in 884.

Within twenty years after his death, it would seem like all the work of Cyril and Methodius was destroyed. Magyar invasions devastated Moravia. And without the brothers to explain their position, use of the vernacular in liturgy was banned. But politics could never prevail over God's will. The disciples of Cyril and Methodius who were driven out of Moravia didn't hide in a locked room. The invasion and the ban gave them a chance to go to other Slavic countries. The brothers' work of spreading Christ's word and translating it into Slavonic continued and laid the foundation for Christianity in the region.

What began as a request guided by political concerns produced two of the greatest Christian missionaries, revered by both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, and two of the fathers of Slavonic literary culture.

Meet Fr. David Michael Moses; young Priest; social media influencer

 He's a young millennial Catholic priest; of course he's a social media influencer

(RNS) — For Fr. David Michael Moses, whose humorous and heartfelt videos have tens of millions of views, social media isn’t a tool — it’s a mission field.





Fiona Murphy

February 12, 2025


(RNS) — Clad in a black clerical shirt and collar, Fr. David Michael Moses steps out of a black Jeep, a small smile plays on his lips and his bright green eyes catch the camera. The video, with more than 8 million views, is one of many that have earned him nearly 1 million followers on Instagram. “I’m a Catholic priest,” he quips. “Of course I always ask if it comes in black.”

At 31, Moses has become a familiar face to hundreds of thousands across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. In the next shot of the video, Moses is seated. “I am a Catholic priest,” he continues in the style of the popular TikTok trend. “Of course I tell the story about dating my high school girlfriend and somehow connect it to the readings.” 

Ordained a diocesan priest in 2019, Moses is currently the parochial vicar of Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Spring, Texas, but most people know him online for his short, humorous videos, some of which have garnered over 50 million views.

For Moses, social media isn’t a tool — it’s a mission field. While the parishioners he serves in Spring show up to church each Sunday, he said he sees his online presence as a way to reach those who wouldn’t normally step through the doors of a parish. As one friend put it to him, “People won’t let you into their homes, but they let you into their phones.” 

“ The reason I use social media is because I’m going after the lost sheep,” Moses said. “I’ve found along the way that humor is such a universal language.” 

Inspired by Christ’s parable of the Good Shepherd, who leaves the 99 to seek the one lost sheep, Moses says he believes he is called to a digital evangelization, which requires meeting people where they are. 

While attending a Seek Catholic youth conference in January, where approximately 20,000 young Catholics gathered to worship and socialize, Moses said he met numerous people who had seen his videos. “The most common thing I got was: My atheist friends send me your videos,” Moses said. “I was really pumped to hear that.” 

On Instagram, where he has the largest following, users flood his comment section with laughter, heart-eye emojis and praying hands, thanking him for his uplifting content. One account wrote: “I’m not religious, but this is funny.” 

(Photo courtesy David Michael Moses)

After using humor to draw in his audience, Moses says he hopes they’ll stay for his more serious videos on prayer and Catholic teachings — and many do. Nearly 60,000 people have viewed his YouTube video titled Pray With Me, in which Moses sits in front of the camera and leads a 16-minute recitation of the rosary. 

Since he began posting regularly on Instagram in 2021, he has become a prominent voice in the growing community of priests leveraging digital platforms for evangelization.

“Some of the earliest YouTube videos I remember watching in high school were Fr. Mike videos,” Moses said. “I have pretty vivid memories of seeing Ascension Presents.” 

Fr. Mike Schmitz is a Catholic priest and popular social media personality who built a sizable following (more than 1 million subscribers) through preaching, teaching and engaging in online evangelization via Ascension Presents, a media platform where he creates videos and podcasts aimed at young people.

In a recent post, Moses collaborated with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, a Franciscan friar and host of a video series on Ascension Presents. The video features the two playfully listing “things Catholic priests can’t eat,” leading to the unexpected punchline — outdoor furniture. The video has 1.2 million views.  

With the rising popularity of Catholic clergy online — Moses is gaining thousands of followers every week — questions are emerging within the Church about how priests should navigate digital spaces. “A change in media technology imposes itself on all of our social and cultural institutions,” said Brett Robinson, who is a media theorist and associate director of the Notre Dame Office of Church Communications. 

At a recent media summit, where hundreds of priests, theologians and prominent Catholic voices gathered in Rome to discuss the evolving intersection of faith and digital media, Robinson said he observed widespread conversation about the emerging role of the priest influencer.

“We’re hearing from the priests themselves who fall into the trap of thinking, ‘I have a bigger audience online than I do in my local parish,'” Robinson said. At a time when weekly Mass attendance is declining and Catholic churches feel increasingly empty, social media offers the chance for a much larger platform. “That’s the new challenge — this was not an option even 20 years ago.”

While he acknowledges the temptation to prioritize his growing online audience over parish ministry, Moses said he views his digital presence as an extension of his pastoral work — and he sees influencing others as an inherent part of that vocation. 

“The loaded term ‘influencer,’ I’d be hesitant about labeling myself that,” Moses said. “But to actually be someone who influences, I’m all for that. That’s why I became a priest.”

Fr. Victor Perez, a longtime friend, fellow priest in Houston and Moses’ spiritual guide, recalls starting to post videos on a dedicated Facebook page during the COVID-19 pandemic, which gained some attention at the time, but he has since deleted it. 

“I just didn’t really like it that much,” Perez said. Perez, who is 45 years old, said the influx of notifications and messages was overwhelming, and the amount of time he spent maintaining the page was difficult to manage. “God has a different path for every person, you know, people have different gifts,” he said.

Perez first met Moses when he was a seminarian and Moses was a young altar server at St. Paul’s the Apostle Church in Nassau Bay, Texas. “I think he’s being creative with his content. I think he’s also always been obedient to the bishop and putting his parish first.”

Fr. David Michael Moses. (Photo courtesy David Michael Moses)

At his parish in Spring, Moses hears daily confessions and leads Mass. He is on call to anoint the sick and dying, writes homilies, visits local elementary schools and regularly performs weddings and baptisms for the community.

Time management is Moses’ biggest challenge as he balances his in-person duties with posting online. To help manage, he relies on two friends who assist with shooting, editing, scheduling and posting his content, which he says gets scheduled weeks in advance.

Moses has also stopped using direct messaging on Instagram.

“I get online just to check,” Moses said. “My name is on everything, so I want to be very careful. It can be such an addictive and dangerous thing, so I think it’s good to have a little bit of separation.”

Despite Moses’ frequent use of platforms like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, he uses the analogy of social media as a “bad neighborhood.” 


“I wouldn’t recommend my family live in a bad neighborhood,” Moses said. “But I do believe there should be a priest in every bad neighborhood — someone who understands the culture, speaks the language and is able to minister to the people there.”

This article was produced as part of the RNS/Interfaith America Religion Journalism Fellowship.

New Bishop for Diocese of Norwich Connecticut

 

Pope Francis appoints Msgr. Reidy as the next bishop of the Diocese of Norwich





February 12, 2025
By Maria Young
The Catholic Free Press


Msgr. Richard F. Reidy, vicar general and moderator of the curia, has been appointed by Pope Francis as the next bishop of the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut.

Bishop-elect Reidy’s appointment was publicized Wednesday morning in Washington, D.C., by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Bishop-elect Reidy succeeds Bishop Emeritus Michael C. Cote, who retired Sept. 3, 2024, after 21 years as bishop of the Norwich diocese. Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, has been the apostolic administrator for Norwich during the vacant period since Bishop Cote’s retirement.

Bishop-elect Reidy told The Catholic Free Press that he was “stunned” when he received Cardinal Pierre’s phone call on behalf of the pope asking him to be bishop.  

He said he asked the cardinal for time to pray and speak with his spiritual advisor, who was not immediately available. That night, unable to sleep, he prostrated himself before the altar in extended prayer at Christ the King Church in Worcester, (the parish where he is in residence). The following morning, after speaking with his spiritual advisor, with peace, he accepted the assignment.

At a press conference Wednesday morning at the chancery in Norwich, introduced by Archbishop Coyne, Bishop-elect Reidy expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for appointing him to the position; to Archbishop Coyne for his support over the past few days; to Bishop McManus for having worked so closely together over the years in Worcester, and calling his “integrity, courage and fidelity” an inspiration to him; and Bishop Reilly, the fourth bishop of Worcester and third of Norwich, whose love of people left “deep impressions” on him.

He said he looks forward to thanking and meeting Bishop Emeritus Cote.  

“Above all, I thank God for life which is a gift, for my baptism making me a member of the Church, for my vocation as a priest and now as a bishop,” he added.  

Bishop McManus told The Catholic Free Press that “our loss is their gain,” and expressed joy for his brother priest.

“Bishop-elect Reidy is an exemplary priest who has served the Diocese of Worcester with great devotion and pastoral enthusiasm as a parish priest, Diocesan Tribunal Canon Lawyer, and for the last twelve years as Vicar General,” Bishop McManus stated.

“The Bishop-elect is a holy priest who has ministered to the people who have been committed to his pastoral care with zeal and compassion. Although I shall miss Bishop-elect Reidy’s competence as a valued co-worker in our diocesan administration, I am delighted for the Diocese of Norwich, as the People of God in that wonderful diocese prepare to receive their new Shepherd.”

Bishop-elect Reidy said that the first thing he needs to do as bishop is get to know the people, visit parishes and learn about the communities. He looks forward to listening to and talking with the people of the Diocese of Norwich.

He reminisced on the people he has encountered in his 30 years as a priest, many becoming friends and others “like family” – celebrating with them at weddings and baptisms and those of their children. He said he hopes to extend that “family” in Norwich.

He has been “edified and inspired by the holy lay people raising their families at home,” others in various working professions, “widows and widowers, and those bearing with the frailty of old age, illness or injury,” he said. “You are all valued and beloved members of the Church.”

He thanked the people for their faith and asked for prayers that he may be a “worthy” bishop.

The Diocese of Norwich serves about 230,000 Catholics, according to the diocesan website, in all counties of Middlesex, New London, Tolland and Windham in Connecticut as well as Fishers Island – a portion of Suffolk County in the state of New York.

Bishop-elect Reidy’s installation Mass will be held on April 29 at 2 p.m. at St. Patrick Cathedral in Norwich. At this time, further details regarding the installation are still being planned.

About Bishop-elect Reidy

Bishop-elect Reidy was born May 30, 1958, in Worcester, the son of Robert C. and Barbara A. (Lee) Reidy. His home parish was Immaculate Conception in Worcester.
Bishop-elect Reidy received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester in 1980, and a Juris Doctor from Boston College of Law in Newton in 1983.

He was a member of the law firm of Mirick, O’Connell, DeMallie and Lougee from 1983 to 1990, before beginning studies for the priesthood at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He continued his studies in Rome at the Pontifical North American College from 1991 to 1994, earning a doctorate in sacred theology in 1993 from the Pontifical Gregorian University, and a master’s degree in spirituality at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in 1994.

He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Timothy J. Harrington on June 25, 1994, in St. Paul Cathedral.  

Following ordination Bishop-elect Reidy served as associate pastor of St. Peter Parish, Worcester.  

He was named rector of St. Paul Cathedral and pastor of St. Paul Parish on June 6, 1995. He served as diocesan chaplain of the Boy Scouts of America from 1996-2008. In August of 2008 he began graduate studies in canon law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he earned his licentiate in canon law in 2010.

Upon his return to the diocese, he was appointed pastor of St. Ann Parish in North Oxford and defender of the bond for the diocesan Tribunal in the Judicial Vicar’s Office.
Bishop-elect Reidy was appointed vicar general and moderator of the curia, with residence at Christ the King Parish in Worcester, on July 6, 2013. He served as temporary administrator in several parishes, including St. Paul and St. Stanislaus parishes in Warren from January 2022 to August 2023.

Bishop-elect Reidy was named a chaplain to his holiness with the title of Reverend Monsignor by Pope Francis on Aug. 30, 2023.

The Worcester-
Norwich Connection

Bishop-elect Reidy, born and raised in Worcester, is to become the sixth bishop of Norwich. A few of his predecessors also have ties to the city.

Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan, the first bishop of the Diocese of Norwich (1953-1959), later became the second bishop of the Diocese of Worcester in  1959 and served through 1983. He also attended the College of the Holy Cross in the city.

Bishop Daniel P. Reilly served the Diocese of Norwich as its third bishop from 1975 through 1994 until becoming the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Worcester from 1994 through 2004.

Bishop Cote, the fifth bishop of Norwich, attended Assumption University (then College) in Worcester and earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

Saint of the Day for Thursday

 

St. Catherine de Ricci





St. Catherine was born in Florence in 1522. Her baptismal name was Alexandrina, but she took the name of Catherine upon entering religion. From her earliest infancy she manifested a great love of prayer, and in her sixth year, her father placed her in the convent of Monticelli in Florence, where her aunt, Louisa de Ricci, was a nun. After a brief return home, she entered the convent of the Dominican nuns at Prat in Tuscany, in her fourteenth year. While very young, she was chosen Mistress of Novices, then subprioress, and at twenty-five years of age she became perpetual prioress. The reputation of her sanctity drew to her side many illustrious personages, among whom three later sat in the chair of Peter, namely Cerveni, Alexander de Medicis, and Aldo Brandini, and afterward Marcellus II, Clement VIII, and Leo XI respectively. She corresponded with St. Philip Neri and, while still living, she appeared to him in Rome in a miraculous manner.She is famous for the "Ecstacy of the Passion" which she experienced every Thursday from noon until Friday at 4:00 p.m. for twelve years. After a long illness she passed away in 1589. Her feast day is February 13.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

New Bishop appointed to the Diocese of Sioux City

 

Pope Francis names the next Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City


Pope Francis has selected Father John Keehner as the eighth Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese(Diocese of Youngstown)



Published: Feb. 12, 2025

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - Only seven men have served as bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City in its 123-year history, now an eighth man has been selected.

Pope Francis has accepted the request for the retirement of current Bishop Walker Nickless, who submitted the request on May 28, 2022. Bishop Nickless submitted the letter on his 75th birthday, the Catholic Church mandates a bishop send that letter to the pope once he reaches 75 years old.

The Pope has appointed Father John Keehner, of the Diocese of Youngstown as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City.

Bishop-elect Keehner, 59, is a native of Youngstown, Ohio. He was ordained a priest in 1993 by Bishop James Malone at St. Columba Cathedral. He will be ordained as bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City on May 1 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

John Keehner’s background

Bishop-elect Keehner currently serves as pastor of four parishes in the Diocese of Youngstown:

  • Our Lady of Peace Parish in Ashtabula, Ohio
  • Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Geneva, Ohio
  • Corpus Christi Parish in Conneaut, Ohio
  • St. Andrew Bobola Parish in Sheffield, Ohio

Keehner earned a B.A. in English in 1988 from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He then began studies at Mount St. Mary Seminary of the West in Cincinnati where he earned his M.Div. and M.A. in biblical studies in 1993.

He was ordained a priest in 1993 by Bishop James Malone at St. Columba Cathedral. His first assignment was parochial vicar for St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Boardman, Ohio. Keehner began canon law studies at the University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome and earned a licentiate in canon law in 1999. The priest was then assigned as a judge to the diocesan Department of Canonical Services.

He has served as vice rector and later rector of the St. Columba Cathedral, director of campus ministry at Youngstown State University. He has served as pastor of St. Casimir Parish, St. Christine Parish in Youngstown as well as St. Luke in Boardman, St. Paul in North Canton and Holy Spirit in Uniontown.

Keehner also served as adjunct instructor of canon law at St. Mary Seminary in the Diocese of Cleveland from 2021-24.

In additional pastoral assignments, the bishop-elect has served on the diocesan board of religious education, priest council, board of mediation and arbitration for the Office of Conciliation, presbyteral council and the priest personnel board. Keehner has served as a spiritual director for the permanent diaconate.

The bishop-elect has also served as state chaplain and national chaplain for the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

New Archbishop for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati

 



ARCHBISHOP-DESIGNATE ROBERT G. CASEY



ARCHBISHOP EMERITUS DENNIS M. SCHNURR


February 12, 2025

POPE FRANCIS APPOINTS CHICAGO’S AUXILIARY BISHOP CASEY AS ARCHBISHOP OF CINCINNATI

Pope Francis announced today that he has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr from pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and has appointed Most Reverend Robert G. Casey, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, as the 11th archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Archbishop-designate Casey has been a priest for more than 30 years, having been ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1994. He was ordained a Bishop in 2018 by Most Reverend Blase J. Cupich, Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago.

“Entrusted with proclaiming the joy of the Gospel, I answer the call of Christ to accompany all in the archdiocese on the journey of faith, so that together we may deepen our love for God and neighbor.”

ARCHBISHOP-DESIGNATE ROBERT G. CASEY

“It is with gratitude and humility that I accept Pope Francis’ invitation to serve the present generation of faithful in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. I am profoundly grateful to Archbishop Schnurr for his kindness to me upon receiving the news of my appointment. Please join me in continuing to pray for him,” said Archbishop-designate Casey. “As archbishop, my primary role will be one of discipleship.  Entrusted with proclaiming the joy of the Gospel, I answer the call of Christ to accompany all in the archdiocese on the journey of faith, so that together we may deepen our love for God and neighbor.”

Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr has served as the 10th archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati since 2009. He was previously Bishop of Duluth from 2001 to 2008. He was ordained a priest of his home diocese of Sioux City in 1974. As required by Canon Law, Archbishop Schnurr submitted his resignation to the Holy Father when he turned 75 on June 21, 2023.

With the announcement of Archbishop-designate Casey’s appointment, Archbishop Schnurr’s resignation has become effective. The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Schnurr as Apostolic Administrator. As such he will continue to govern the archdiocese until the installation of Archbishop-designate Casey. Archbishop Schnurr offers his support for the new Archbishop of Cincinnati:

“It has been my great honor and privilege to serve the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati these past 15 years. Now, on behalf of the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, it is a great joy to welcome Archbishop-designate Robert Casey to his new home.”

ARCHBISHOP DENNIS M. SCHNURR

 

“It has been my great honor and privilege to serve the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati these past 15 years. Now, on behalf of the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, it is a great joy to welcome Archbishop-designate Robert Casey to his new home,” Archbishop Schnurr said. “Archbishop-designate Casey is highly regarded by the people and priests he serves, and I am pleased such a good man will be shepherding the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. My intention in retirement is to remain in Cincinnati, and to help in any way our new archbishop deems appropriate. I am confident that he will find the local Church to be very welcoming and dedicated to the evangelization of our communities.”

Archbishop-designate Casey will be installed as the 11th Archbishop of Cincinnati at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in Cincinnati at a date to be announced. Additional information about the installation liturgy will be forthcoming.

We express our heartfelt gratitude and affection for Archbishop Schnurr and extend our prayers and congratulations to Archbishop-designate Robert G. Casey.