Pope Appoints three new Bishops in the US

Vatican City, Oct 13, 2004 / 22:00 pm

Pope John Paul II has appointed three new bishops to lead the U.S. dioceses of Columbus, Grand Island, and Harrisburg.

Bishop Frederick Francis Campell, auxiliary of St. Paul and Minneapolis, U.S.A., was appointed as bishop of Columbus. 

Bishop Campbell was born on August 5 1943 at Elmira (New York). He graduated in History at Ohio State University and joined the St. Paul Seminary at Saint Paul (Minnesota) in 1976.

He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on May 31, 1980. He has been Vicar of St. Charles Borromeo parish in Minneapolis (1980-1987); Pastor of St. John at Hopkins (1987-1994); Pastor of St. Joseph at West Saint Paul (1994-1999). He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul on March 2,1999.

He succeeds Bishop James Anthony Griffin whose resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Columbus was accepted in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

Msgr. William J. Dendinger, pastor of St. Stephen the Martyr Parish in Omaha, U.S.A., was appointed bishop of Grand Island, U.S.A.

Msgr. Dendinger was born in Coleridge (Nebraska) on May 20, 1939. He studied at "Mount Michael High School" in Omaha, then at "Conception College Seminary" in Conception, Missouri,  and at "Aquinas Institute" in Iowa, where he obtained a "Masters of Arts" in Theology in 1965.

He was ordained a priest on May 29, 1965. From 1965 to 1968 was a Vicar at the Saint John the Baptist parish  in Petersburg and from 1968 to 1970, Vicar  of Saint Boniface Parish at Elgin.

In July 1970, Msgr.Dendinger became a chaplain at the US Air Force (USAF), where he served for 32 years becoming a Major General.  He has also been Head of Chaplains for the USAF, managing more than 1,000 chaplains around the world.

In 2002, after completing his ministry at the USAF, he was appointed pastor at Saint Stephen the Martyr parish in Omaha. Since 1994 he is a Prelate of Honor of His Holiness.

He succeeds Bishop Lawrence James McNamara whose resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Grand Island was accepted upon having reached the age limit.

Fr. Kevin Carl Rhoades, rector of Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, was appointed bishop of Harrisburg.

Msgr. Rhoades was born in Mahanoy City in the diocese of Allentown on November 26, 1957. After studying at Mount Saint Mary’s College, he joined the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and was later sent to the North American College in Rome. He completed his theological studies at the Gregorian University in Rome and was laureate in Cannon Law at the same university.

He was ordained  a priest on July 9,1983 for the diocese of Harrisburg. Fr. Rhoades was appointed vicar at Saint Patrick’s parish in York (1983-1985); then he was appointed Vice Chancellor and Secretary to the Bishop. From 1988 to 1989 he was the Director of Hispanic Ministry and latter apointed Pastor at Saint Francis of Assisi parish in Harrisburg (1990-1995). In 1995 became professor of Theology at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary and Rector in 1997.