Pope Names Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Siegel as New Bishop of Evansville

WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has named Bishop Joseph M. Siegel, up until nowAuxiliary Bishop of Joliet, as the new bishop of Evansville, Indiana.

The announcement was publicizedin Washington on October 18 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncioto the United States.  

Bishop Siegel was named Auxiliary Bishop of Joliet, Illinois,by Pope Benedict XVI on October 28, 2009 and was ordained a bishop on January19, 2010 by Bishop Peter Sartain.

He was born in LockportTownship on July 18, 1963 and is the youngest of nine children. He attended St.Meinrad Seminary, Indiana, where he completed his college education.  He was then sent to the North AmericanCollege in Rome (1984-1988), attending the Gregorian and AngelicumUniversities.

Bishop Siegel was ordained a priest for the Joliet Diocese in 1988 and then completedhis Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake,Mundelein, Illinois.

Assignments after ordination include: associate pastor, St. Isidore Parish,Bloomingdale, Illinois, 1988-1994; associate pastor, St. MaryImmaculate Parish, Plainfield, Illinois, 1994-1998; parochial vicar, St. Mary NativityChurch, Joliet, Illinois, 1998-2000; parochial vicar, Cathedral of St. Raymond,Joliet, Illinois, 2000-2004; pastor, Visitation Parish, Elmhurst, Illinois,2004-2009. In July 2011, Bishop R. Daniel Conlon appointed Bishop Siegel as hisVicar General.

Bishop Siegel has served as a member and chairman of the Presbyteral Counciland was appointed to the Diocesan Board of Consultors. He also served asdirector of Continuing Formation for Priests, a member of the Diocesan VocationBoard, the Priest Personnel Board and Dean of Eastern Will County.

At the Catholic Conference of Illinois, he served on the Executive Committeeand was chairman of the Catholics for Life Department. He chaired the SteeringCommittee for the Joliet Diocesan Year of the Eucharist and EucharisticCongress and has been a member of the Bishops' Respect Life Advisory Board. Heis a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and a member of the Knights of the HolySepulchre.

The Diocese of Evansville, Indiana, comprises 5,010 square miles. It has atotal population of 512,870 people of which 76,218, or 15 percent, areCatholic.

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Keywords: Pope Francis, Bishop Joseph Siegel, Diocese of Joliet, Diocese ofEvansville, bishop appointment, ArchbishopChristophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio.

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