30 December 2007

Overview: Province of Kentucky and Tennessee

This province is composed of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky along with the suffragan Dioceses of: Covington, Kentucky; Knoxville, Tennessee; Lexington, Kentucky; Memphis, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee; and Owensboro, Kentucky.

Archbishop Joseph Edward Kurtz (61) became the ordinary of the Archdiocese of Louisville this past summer.

The Diocese of Covington, Kentucky is led by Bishop Roger Joseph Foys (62) who has been in that post for over 5 years.

The Diocese of Knoxville has been vacant since Archbishop Kurtz was moved to Louisville. Hopefully a new ordinary will be named in the coming year.

Bishop Ronald William Gainer (60) is the Bishop of Lexington. He has been in place for about 5 years.

The Diocese of Memphis, Tennessee is headed by Bishop James Terry Steib, S.V.D. (67). He will celebrate 41 years as a priest in about a week. He has been serving as ordinary here for almost 15 years.

Bishop David Raymond Choby is serving as Bishop of Nashville for about 2 years and he turns 61 in a few weeks.

The Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky is led by Bishop John Jeremiah McRaith (73). He recently celebrated 25 years as a bishop.

Overall this province is not likely to see many changes with the obvious exception of Knoxville which will hopefully receive her new ordinary in the coming year. In a couple of years bishop McRaith will be reaching the normal retirement age. In addition, soon after that, a couple of the ordinaries will be approaching the age and time as bishop that makes them more likely to be candidates for other posts.

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