And Knoxville Catholic grad! I have to say, this is sort of weird to me, because I sort of vaguely knew him – in college. I guess he was a year ahead of me at KCHS, but I don’t remember him from that context. He is, of course, well-known in the Diocese of Knoxville as a priest and as Chancellor and moderator of the curia. Fr. Vann Johnston of the Diocese of Knoxville is the new bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Ordination scheduled for March 31. There will be a press conference from Knoxville at 3:30 today with more details and, we might assume, some words from Msgr. Johnston.
Congratulations!
(And note the age, even though having contemporaries made bishops makes me feel old, in bishop years this is another young one – 48. )
The appointment actually raises an interesting question, one bounced about on Catholic blogs (as well as in less ephemeral contexts) regarding bishops coming from outside or within the diocese they serve (and I’ve always seen advantages to both, frankly, depending on the person and the state of the diocese in question).
Knoxville is open. Without delving into local ecclesiastical politics, it is certainly intriguing that a priest from a vacant see has been elevated to the episcopacy of another.
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