James D. Conley

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The Most Reverend

James Douglas Conley
Bishop of Lincoln
DioceseLincoln
AppointedSeptember 14, 2012
InstalledNovember 20, 2012
PredecessorFabian Bruskewitz
Orders
OrdinationMay 18, 1985
by Eugene John Gerber
ConsecrationMay 30, 2008
by Charles J. Chaput, Michael Owen Jackels, Paul Stagg Coakley
Personal details
Born (1955-03-19) March 19, 1955 (age 68)
Kansas City, Missouri
DenominationRoman Catholic
Previous post(s)
Alma materUniversity of Kansas
Mount St. Mary's Seminary
Alphonsian Academy
MottoCor Ad Cor Loquitur
("Heart Speaks to Heart")
Styles of
James Douglas Conley
Coat of arms of James Douglas Conley.svg
Reference styleHis Excellency
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop
Ordination history of
James D. Conley
History
Priestly ordination
Ordained byEugene Gerber
DateMay 18, 1985
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecratorCharles Chaput
Co-consecratorsMichael Jackels
Paul Coakley
DateMay 30, 2008
PlaceCathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Denver, Colorado

James Douglas Conley (born March 19, 1955) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln in Nebraska since 2012. He served as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Denver from 2008 to 2012.

Early life

Raised in a Presbyterian family,[1] James Conley was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to Carl and Betty Conley.[2] He has one sister by adoption, Susan. Conley is of Wea Native American descent through his paternal grandmother's family. The family moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1957, and to Arvada, Colorado, in 1959.[2]

James Conley attended Hoskinson Cottage School in Arvada before moving to Overland Park, Kansas, at age eight. He was a childhood friend of Paul S. Coakley, who later became [3] archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in 2011. Conley graduated from Shawnee Mission West High School in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, in 1973, and then entered the University of Kansas (KU); because of his Native American heritage, the Bureau of Indian Affairs paid for a portion of his college education. He studied in KU's Integrated Humanities Program, whose courses on Greek and Roman classics led him to convert to Catholicism on December 6, 1975.[2]

Conley obtained a Bachelor of English Literature degree from KU in 1977, and then worked in construction in Kansas City, Kansas, before traveling through Europe. He considered a monastic vocation while staying at the Abbey of Notre Dame de Fontgombault in France.[2] Conley returned to Kansas in 1978, and worked on a friend's farm near Courtland, Kansas. In 1980, he decided to pursue a vocation to the priesthood and entered St. Pius X Seminary in Erlanger, Kentucky. Conley later studied at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1985.[2]

Priesthood

Conley was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wichita on May 18, 1985.[4] After his ordination, he was assigned as associate pastor at St. Patrick Parish. In 1989, Bishop Eugene J. Gerber sent him to Rome, where he earned a Licentiate in Moral Theology from the Alphonsian Academy of the Pontifical Lateran University.[1] Upon his return to Kansas in 1991, Conley became chaplain of the Newman Center at Wichita State University and diocesan director of the Respect Life Office.[1] His parents converted to Catholicism in 1991; Conley administered the sacraments of baptism and confirmation to them.[2]

In 1996, Conley returned to Rome to serve as an official of the Congregation for Bishops in the Roman Curia.[2] During this period, Conley also served as chaplain at the University of Dallas' Rome campus (1997-2003) and as adjunct instructor of theology at Christendom College's Rome campus (2004-2006).[2] He was raised to the rank of chaplain of his holiness by John Paul II on February 9, 2001.[2] Returning to the Diocese of Wichita in 2006, Conley was named pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church in Wichita.

Episcopal career

Auxiliary Bishop of Denver

On April 10, 2008, Conley was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Denver and titular bishop of Cissa by Pope Benedict XVI.[4] He was consecrated on May 30 by Archbishop Charles Chaput, with Bishop Michael Jackels and Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.[4] His episcopal motto, "Cor Ad Cor Loquitur (Latin: "Heart Speaks To Heart"), is taken from the motto of Cardinal John Newman.[2]

Speaking on proposed health care legislation in November 2009, Conley stated that Catholic bishops:

"have a few simple but important priorities. First, everyone should have access to basic health care, including immigrants...Second, reform should respect the dignity of every person, from conception to natural death... Third, real healthcare reform needs to include explicit, ironclad conscience protections for medical professionals and institutions so that they cannot be forced to violate their moral convictions. Fourth—and this is so obvious it sometimes goes unstated—any reform must be economically realistic and financially sustainable."[5]

In September 2011, when Archbishop Chaput was appointed as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Conley became apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Denver. He fulfilled this responsibility until July 2012, when Bishop Samuel Aquila was named Chaput's successor.[4]

Bishop of Lincoln

On September 14, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Conley as bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln, succeeding Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz. Conley was installed on November 20, 2012, at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln.[6][7]

In 2003, the Diocese of Lincoln diocese participated in the first audit of implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Bruskewitz declined to participate in later audits because he wase awaiting refinements to the process.[8] In June 2014, the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) National Review Board for the Protection of Children reported that the Diocese of Lincoln was one of four American dioceses not in audit compliance.[9]

According to a 2015 statement by Conley, the Lincoln Diocese complied with all church and civil laws on child-abuse reporting and child protection; he stated that the audit process had been improved, and that the diocese would now participate.[8]

On December 13, 2019, Conley announced that he was taking a medical leave of absence to treat depression, anxiety, insomnia, and tinnitus. Archbishop George Lucas was appointed to serve as apostolic administrator during Conley’s leave of absence.[10] Conley returned to active service on November 13, 2020.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Pope Names Bishops For Des Moines, Little Rock Dioceses, Auxiliaries For San Antonio, Denver, San Francisco Archdioceses". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Biography of Most Rev. James D. Conley, S.T.L." Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver. Archived from the original on 2009-04-27.
  3. ^ "Former baseball teammates to share new link as fellow bishops". Catholic News Service. 2008-05-07. Archived from the original on 2008-05-13.
  4. ^ a b c d "Bishop James Douglas Conley". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.[self-published source]
  5. ^ Conley, James (2009-11-06). "A Healthcare Problem Washington May Have Missed". First Things.
  6. ^ "Bishop Conley appointed to lead Diocese of Lincoln". Catholic News Agency. September 14, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  7. ^ "Diocese of Lincoln installs James Conley as ninth bishop".
  8. ^ a b Jones, Kevin J. (September 11, 2015). "For Diocese of Lincoln, Audit Will Strengthen Its Effective Child-Protection". National Catholic Register. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  9. ^ Roewe, Brian (June 12, 2014). "Bishops talk sex abuse complacency, not accountability at annual meeting". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  10. ^ "Press release and letter from Bishop Conley 12-13-19". Catholic Diocese of Lincoln. Catholic Diocese of Lincoln. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  11. ^ Asher, Julie (November 16, 2020). "Bishop Conley resumes leadership of Lincoln Diocese after medical leave". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. Retrieved November 17, 2020.

External links

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Lincoln
2012–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Titular Bishop of Cissa
2008–2012 		Succeeded by
Gonzalo Alonso Calzada Guerrero


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