Former Wichita Priest Named Bishop of Lincoln Diocese
By Stan Finger
James Conley, who was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Wichita, has been named the bishop of Lincoln, Neb., by Pope Benedict XVI. Conley has spent the past four years as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Denver. “I am honored, and humbled, by this appointment,” Conley told the Denver Catholic Register. “There is nothing more important for a bishop than the care of souls.” Conley said he needed to rely on God’s grace “for this great responsibility.” “My mission as bishop there will remain the same as it has in Denver: to help all people to encounter Jesus Christ, and to become holy, as God in heaven is holy.” A native of Overland Park, Conley converted to Catholicism while a student at the University of Kansas. He graduated from KU in 1977 and entered the seminary in 1980. He was ordained a priest in 1985 and was named associate pastor at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Wichita and diocesan director of the Respect Life Office. He then went to school for two years in Rome before returning to Wichita in 1991 as pastor of St. Paul’s Parish/Newman Center at Wichita State University. He was named an official in the Vatican Congregation for Bishops in Rome in 1996 and returned to Wichita 10 years later. He was serving as pastor of Blessed Sacrament parish when the pope named him auxiliary bishop of Denver in 2008. In his interview with the Denver Catholic Register, Conley said the priests and people in Wichita “were instrumental in helping me discover my vocation, and in learning what it is to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ.” Conley’s installation as bishop of Lincoln will be November 20. The Lincoln diocese has a population of 588,641 people and a Catholic population of 96,625 in 134 parishes. Reach Stan Finger at 316-268-6437 or sfinger@wichitaeagle.com
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