Johnston Is Diocese's Vatican-Named Replacement
By Linda Leicht
Springfield News-Leader
January 25, 2008
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080125/LIFE07/801250421
When James Vann Johnston Jr. steps into the role of bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese, he will work to serve as a "shepherd after the heart of Christ."
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| The Rev. James Vann Johnston Jr., the new bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, fields questions during a Thursday news conference at Catholic Center. He will replace retiring bishop John Leibrecht. Photo by Steve j.p. liang |
Johnston, 48, served in the Diocese of Knoxville, Tenn., since he was ordained as a priest in 1990. He will be ordained as the sixth bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau on March 31.
John Leibrecht, who will retire after more than 23 years as bishop, introduced Johnston on Thursday morning to staff and media.
"It's a wonderful day for all of us in the diocese...," Leibrecht said, noting that he received a letter from the Vatican a few weeks ago announcing his replacement.
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| People take turns to greet new bishop James Vann Johnston Jr. after the Thursday announcement. Photo by Steve j.p. liang |
Leibrecht turned 75 in 2006, when he submitted his request for retirement — a requirement at that age. Waiting for the Vatican to accept that request and name a replacement took nearly two years. But Leibrecht has never complained. In fact, he hopes to continue as a senior priest in service in the diocese, filling in where needed.
"I count it as a great blessing, a great gift," Johnston said of having the former bishop at his service.
Leibrecht said he will take a two-month sabbatical in April and May.
Outside of Knoxville
Johnston was ordained in his home parish in Knoxville. His new position as bishop will be the first outside of the Knoxville area where he grew up.
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| Bishop John J. Leibrecht chats with Sister Irene Dinbh (front left) and Sister Rosaline Nguyen after the Thursday announcement of the new bishop at Catholic Center. Photo by Steve j.p. liang |
He earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1982. He worked in Houston until 1985 when he began to pursue his call to the priesthood. He earned his master of divinity degree from St. Meinrad College and School of Theology in 1990.
Johnston said he first felt a call to the priesthood as a young boy, but it was in college in Knoxville that he had a "profound conversion" that ultimately led to his vocation.
He named Pope John Paul II as his favorite theologian and the person who inspired him to consider the priesthood.
Dioceses similar
Leaving Knoxville will mean leaving behind his family, but Johnston said that there are many parallels between the two dioceses should make the transition easier.
| MULTIMEDIA EXTRAS • PHOTO GALLERY: New bishop named for Catholic diocese of Springfield - Cape Girardeau • GRAPHIC: Growing denominations • GRAPHIC: Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau |
Both are in an area where the Catholic Church has had a presence for more than 100 years but Catholics are a minority. In Knoxville, only about 3 percent of the residents are Catholic, while southern Missouri claims about 6 percent.
Both are relatively new dioceses — southern Missouri established in 1957, and Knoxville in 1988.
Knoxville is about half the size of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, which covers nearly 26,000 square miles.
And both diocese are home to country music meccas — Dollywood and Branson, he said.
Johnston's country music roots run deep, so he quickly named fellow east Tennesseans Dolly Parton and Chet Atkins as his favorite country artists. But he admitted that he especially enjoys the music of Alan Jackson.
"He has good insight into the human condition," he said.
Jackson's songs may have inspired Johnston, who said he hopes to bring "a ministry after the heart of Jesus Christ ... the heart of compassion and the heart of a teacher" to his new diocese.
Clergy abuse
Both Knoxville and southern Missouri share some issues that have troubled the Catholic Church, including clergy abuse and calls for a return to the Latin Mass.
Both of the dioceses have had some incidents of clergy sex abuse, but the numbers have been relatively small — six in Springfield-Cape Girardeau and one in Knoxville. Knoxville's first bishop, Anthony O'Connell, resigned from his position as bishop of Palm Beach, Fla., in 2002 after an accusation of abuse of a teenage boy in the 1970s.
| MORE ABOUT THIS STORY John J. Leibrecht John Leibrecht, the retiring bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese, was born Aug. 8, 1930. He was baptized in All Souls Church in Overland, attended St. Louis Archdiocesan Latin School, St. Louis Preparatory Seminary and Kenrick Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Joseph E. Ritter for the Archdiocese of St. Louis on March 17, 1956. Leibrecht received a doctorate in education in 1961 from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he later served on the board of trustees. He worked in education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis for 20 years, including nine years as superintendent. He was ordained the fifth bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau on Dec. 12, 1984. He served on the Department of Education of the U.S. Catholic Conference 1986-89, and served as chair of the Ex Corde Ecclesiae Committee on U.S. Catholic Colleges and Universities 1991-2000, and on the board of The Catholic Health Association 1997-2003. Most recently, he served as chairman of the board for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate of Georgetown University. After taking a two-month sabbatical, he will reside in Springfield and assist in parishes throughout the diocese as needed. Source: Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese James Vann Johnston Jr. The new bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese, James Vann Johnston Jr., was born Oct. 16, 1959, in Knoxville, Tenn. His parents, two sisters and one brother all live in Tennessee. Johnston, who is known by Vann, earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1982 from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and worked for an engineering consulting firm in Houston for three years before pursuing a call to the priesthood. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Anthony O'Connell in 1990 after attending St. Meinrad College and School of Theology. After serving as an associate pastor and religion instructor, he attended the Catholic University of America, earning his degree in canon law in 1996. He was then named chancellor -- the church lawyer -- of the diocese. He currently serves as chancellor and moderator of the curia -- overseeing the programs and departments of the diocese, as well as pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa and its mission, St. Francis, in Townsend. He also serves on the presbyterial council and is a member of the diocesan college of consultors, as well as a corporate member of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. He is a member of the Catholic Public Policy Commission of Tennessee and is active with the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Engaged Encounter and the Catholic Cursillo movement. Johnston enjoys hiking. He and two other priests from Tennessee who were longtime hiking companions, received the Citizen's Award for Bravery from the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2005 for helping save a father and two of his children from plunging over a waterfall in Glacier National Park in Montana. |
Susan Vance, director of the Tennessee chapter of Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests — SNAP, pointed out that Knoxville has been home to abuser priests before 1988. She said Johnston has refused to cross reference with the Nashville and Memphis dioceses to find those priests and has continued to keep pictures of O'Connell on display in churches and schools.
"He hides behind the letter of the law to keep from being compassionate," she said.
Barbara Schoenberger of Springfield, a member of Una Voce and a supporter of the traditional Latin Mass, had a different view of Johnston.
Related:
• Springfield has new bishop (01/25/08)
• New bishop named for Springfield-Cape Girardeau Catholic diocese (01/24/08)
"I'm told he is brilliant, outgoing and energetic," she said, adding that his support of the Latin mass, Gregorian chant and sacred Renaissance music is evidence he is open to a variety of viewpoints regarding celebration of the Mass.
The then-bishop of Knoxville, Joseph Kurtz, implemented the Latin Mass there in 2004. Johnston helped in that effort.
"I'm young enough that I don't really remember (the Latin Mass)," Johnston said. "I don't hold a great personal attachment to it, but I know many do."
Leibrecht recently implemented the "extraordinary form" of the Latin Mass in the diocese. The first such Mass will be celebrated at 4 p.m. Feb. 10 in Springfield at Holy Trinity.
Schoenberger is happy about the upcoming Latin services and about the new bishop.
"It makes me quite optimistic," said Schoenberger.
Children's advice
Johnston will soon be learning about his new job as bishop, but some St. Agnes Elementary School students have advice for him.
"He should guide us when we're worried," said Elizabeth Nguyen, 9.
"He should get involved in the school," added Helen Halter, 9.
"He should be like Monsignor Westhues," Isaiah DeVoss, 10, said. John Westhues died last week. "He was kind and knew the people."
Johnston and Leibrecht made a surprise visit to the fourth-grade class when they were practicing a song in the cathedral Thursday.
"Bishop Leibrecht said, 'This is your new bishop,'" Helen said. "We were kind of shocked."
The staff at the Catholic Center also had mixed emotions about the announcement.
"It's sad for us, but we're so happy for Bishop Leibrecht," said Nancy McNamara in the finance department.
Her boss, Jan Smith, pointed out that with Leibrecht staying in the diocese, "We're not losing him. We are doubling our pleasure."
Troy Casteel, director of family ministries, said he was happy for Leibrecht.
"He finally gets to retire," he said. "Now he'll have more time for golf."
Contact: lleicht@news-leader.com
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