Pope Names James Conley New Bishop of Lincoln Catholic Diocese

Lincoln Journal Star – August 14, 2012

Bishop James D. Conley, S.T.L., 57, auxiliary bishop of Denver, is the new bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln, replacing Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, who has lead the diocese since 1992.

Pope Benedict XVI made the announcement Friday morning.

Conley is the ninth bishop of the Lincoln Diocese. A formal announcement and introduction of Conley will occur at a press conference at 10 a.m. Friday at the Blessed John XXIII Diocesean Center, 3700 Sheridan Blvd.

Bruskewitz, 77, submitted his letter of resignation to the Pope in September, 2010 when he turned 75, as required by Canon Law.

Conley is a native of Overland Park, Kan., and a convert to Catholicism. He served as a priest for 23 years before his episcopal ordination, including 10 years of service to the Pope as an official in the Vatican Congregation for Bishops in Rome.

Benedict appointed him auxiliary bishop of Denver on April 10, 2008. For his episcopal motto, Conley chose the same motto as 19th-century English convert, John Henry Cardinal Newman, “cor ad cor loquitur,” which means “heart speaks to heart.”

Conley was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wichita, Kan., May 18, 1985. Since then he has served the church as pastor, college campus chaplain, director of Respect Life ministries, theology instructor, Vatican official and bishop.

Similarly, Bruskewitz served the Catholic church as a pastor, seminary teacher and Vatican official. Born in Milwaukee, Wis., Sept. 6, 1935, he was ordained a priest July 17, 1960, in Rome. He worked in the Congregation for Catholic Education, a department of the Vatican, in Rome, for 11 years.

While serving as pastor of Saint Bernard Parish in a suburb of Milwaukee, Bruskewitz was named the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln in 1992. He was consecrated a bishop and installed in the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln, on May 13, 1992. Known as one of the most conservative bishops in the nation, Bruskewitz promoted Catholic education, health care, social services.

The Diocese of Lincoln serves more than 96,625 Catholics in 134 parishes.

The Bishop is the steward of grace of the supreme priesthood, especially in the Eucharist…. The Eucharist is the center of life of the particular Church. The Bishop and priests sanctify the Church by their prayer and work, by their ministry of the word and of the sacraments. They sanctify her by their example, not as domineering over those in their charge but being examples to the flock. Thus, together with the flock entrusted to them, they may attain to eternal life. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #893) O’Meara Ferguson welcomes Bishop Conley to his new ministry as Bishop of Lincoln. We promise our prayerful support as he assumes his new responsibility as a “steward of grace” for the Church of southern Nebraska.