ST. LOUIS (MO)
National Catholic Reporter
June 17, 2020
By Don Clemmer
Archbishop-designate Mitch Rozanski acclaims value of mercy, dialogue
For Mitch Rozanski, the archbishop-designate of St. Louis, “The Joy of the Gospel” is foundational to how a Christian should live in the 21st century. He refers to the 2013 exhortation of Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, which laid much of the groundwork for this pontificate.
Known for his bright demeanor and open smile, Rozanski has worked to “Serve the Lord with Gladness” — his episcopal motto — most recently as bishop of Springfield, Massachusetts, since 2014. He was appointed to his new post on June 10 to succeed Archbishop Robert Carlson.
Belying his pastoral, unpretentious manner, Rozanski’s move to St. Louis brings together two U.S. cities with rich histories for the Catholic Church. A Baltimore native, Rozanski served in the “premier see” (first diocese in the country) for 20 years as a parish priest before his appointment as an auxiliary bishop at age 46 in 2004, a role he served in for a decade. Now he becomes the 10th archbishop of “Rome of the West.”
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