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Missouri Catholic Conference Board of Directors
Board of Directors |
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Most Rev. Raymond L. Burke - General Chairman, Archbishop of St. Louis.
The Most Reverend Raymond Leo Burke was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin, on June 30, 1948, the youngest of the six children of Thomas F. and Marie B. Burke. His elementary education was undertaken at St. Mary School in Richland Center (1954-1959) and at St. Joseph School in Stratford, Wisconsin (1959-1962).
He attended high school at Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse, Wisconsin, from 1962 to 1966, and also completed college courses there (1966 -1968) before attending the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he studied as a Basselin Scholar (1968 -1971). He undertook his studies for ordination at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1971-1975) and was ordained to the priesthood by Pope Paul VI on June 29, 1975, at the Basilica of St. Peter.
Father Burke's first assignment was as associate rector of the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman in La Crosse. In 1977 he took up the additional duty of teaching religion at Aquinas High School in La Crosse. In 1980 Father Burke returned to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In April 1984, after completing his studies, he was named Moderator of the Curia and Vice Chancellor of the Diocese of La Crosse.
In 1989 Father Burke returned to Rome when Pope John Paul II named him Defender of the Bond of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the first American to hold this position on the Church's highest court. After five years in this post, the Holy Father appointed him Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse on December 10, 1994.
Bishop Burke was ordained to the episcopacy by Pope John Paul II on January 6, 1995, at the Basilica of St. Peter, and was installed in the Diocese of La Crosse on February 22, 1995, the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter.
On December 2, 2003, Bishop Burke was named Archbishop of St. Louis, succeeding Justin Cardinal Rigali, who was appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia in July 2003. Archbishop Burke was installed in St. Louis on January 26, 2004, the fifth anniversary of Pope John Paul II's historic pastoral visit to the archdiocese. The Holy Father invested Archbishop Burke with the pallium on June 29, 2004, at the Basilica of St. Peter, in Rome.
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Most Rev. John R. Gaydos - Executive Chairman, Bishop of Jefferson City.
The Most Reverend John Raymond Gaydos was born
August 14, 1943, in St. Louis, Missouri to George and Carrie Lee Gaydos. He attended St. Agnes School and Parish from 1943 - 1957. Feeling a call to the religious life he attended
St. Louis Preparatory Seminary from 1957 to 1961. He continued his studies at Cardinal Glennon College where he graduated in 1965. He then traveled to Rome to study at
the Pontifical Gregorian University from which he graduated in 1969.
While in Rome he was ordained to the priesthood
on December 20, 1968 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Bishop Francis F. Reh, Rector of the North American College was the ordaining prelate.
Father Gaydos returned to Missouri in 1969 and became the Associate Pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Manchester, MO until 1974. From 1974 to 1977 he was the Associate Pastor at St. Cecilia's Parish in St. Louis. In 1977 Father Gaydos was made the
Secretary to the Archbishop and Master of Ceremonies in the Archdiocese of St. Louis until 1990. At that time he was appointed Pastor of St. Gerard Majella Parish in Kirkwood, MO. Then on Feb. 14, 1996, he was appointed Vicar General of the St. Louis Archdiocese. His appointment as Vicar General would last just over one year. On June 25, 1997 Father Gaydos was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City. He was ordained and installed as the Third Bishop of Jefferson City on Aug. 27, 1997.
Bishop Gaydos has served as a member on numerous United States Conference of Catholic Bishops committees. He is currently a member of
the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse. |
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Most Rev. Robert William Finn - Vice Chairman, Bishop of Kansas City/St. Joseph.
Born in St. Louis in 1953, Bishop Finn is the second of five children of the late Theodore and Betty Schneider Finn. He attended All Souls Catholic Elementary School and graduated from St. Louis Prep Seminary North high school in 1971. He continued his studies for the priesthood at Cardinal Glennon College Seminary where he graduated in 1975. He then traveled to Rome where he completed his theology studies at the North American College and received his M.A. in Theology from Angelicum University in 1979.
Ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1979, Father Finn served in full time parish ministry until 1983. He then taught at St. Francis Borgia High School from1983 to 1989 while working on his M.A. in Education Administration at St. Louis University. Upon receiving his M.A. he was appointed Administrator of St. Dominic High School through 1996. Father Finn was then appointed Director of Continuing Formation of Priests. In 1999 he was appointed editor of the St. Louis Review, the Archdiocesan newspaper of St. Louis.
On March 9, 2004 Father Finn was named Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City/St. Joseph. He was ordained a Bishop on May 3, 2004. Bishop Finn will succeed Bishop Boland upon his retirement.
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Most Rev. John Leibrecht - Bishop of Springfield/Cape Girardeau.
A product of Catholic elementary and secondary schools, Bishop Leibrecht was ordained to the priesthood on March 17, 1956, after theological studies at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He received a Ph.D. in Education from The Catholic University of America in 1961 where he later served on the Board of Trustees. He worked in Catholic education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis for twenty years, including his years as Superintendent of Education from 1972-81.
After serving as pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Florissant, Missouri, he was ordained as Bishop for the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau on December 12, 1984.
Bishop Leibrecht was elected to the Department of Education of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1986 and subsequently served as Chairman from 1990-93. From 1994-1997, he served as Chairman of the National Catholic Educational Association. Bishop Leibrecht served as Chair of the Ex Corde Ecclesiae Committee of the bishops’ Conference from 1991-2000 on matters related to Catholic higher education in the United States. From 1997-2003, he served on the Board of the Catholic Health Association and is currently the Chairman of the Board for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University. |
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Most Rev. Robert Hermann - Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis.
Bishop Robert J. Hermann was born in Weingarten, Mo., on August 12, 1934, as
one of 15 children. He attended Our Lady Help of Christians School in
Weingarten. He went to high school at St. Louis Prep Seminary, graduated from
Cardinal Glennon College, completed his theological studies at Kenrick Seminary,
and was ordained a priest on March 30, 1963.
Bishop Hermann received a Masters Degree in English from Saint Louis University and taught at the following high schools for a total of 14 years: Mercy, DeAndreas, and Prep North. He also served as a part-time associate pastor in Our Lady Help of Christians, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Cronan, Holy Ghost, Holy Cross, and Most Holy Trinity parishes. He served as a full-time associate pastor at St. Piux X Parish for three years, as pastor of St. Andrew Parish for six years, and as pastor of Incarnate Word Parish for 14 years. During those years Incarnate Word became a regional hub parish for the International LIFE TEEN program.
He served as dean of the Northwest County Deanery for six years. In March, 2001, he was appointed to serve as chairman of the Agency Review Task Force. In July, 2002, he was appointed Vicar General of the Archdiocese with responsibilities for four deaneries and numerous Archdiocesan agencies.
Bishop Hermann was named an Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis on October 16, 2002, and was ordained a bishop on December 12, 2002. |
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