Auxiliary Bishop Robert Casey welcomes parishioners to a Mass that included the official enthronement and installation of a statue of Nuestra Senora del Rosario de Talpa at St. Joseph Parish, 4821 S. Hermitage Ave. on Sept. 29, 2019. On Aug. 28, 2020, Cardinal Cupich appointed Bishop Casey as the next vicar general for the Archdiocese of Chicago. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Cardinal Cupich announced Aug. 28 the appointment of Bishop Robert Casey as vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago, effective Sept. 12. Bishop Casey, episcopal vicar for Vicariate III, will replace Bishop Ronald Hicks, who was named the sixth bishop of Joliet by Pope Francis in July. Cardinal Cupich will name an interim vicar for Vicariate III in the near future. “The Archdiocese of Chicago is blessed to have Bishop Casey succeed his classmate Bishop Hicks as vicar general,” said Cardinal Cupich. “Bishop Casey has served the people of the archdiocese as a pastor and leader in diocesan renewal. His love for our Hispanic faithful is evident in his work of forming priests from Latin America and his co-founding of Taller de José.” Bishop Casey is a native of Evergreen Park and grew up in Alsip, where he attended public elementary schools. He graduated from Marist High School before entering Niles College Seminary, where he received a bachelor’s degree in English. Bishop Casey graduated from University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood May 21, 1994. His first assignment was as associate pastor at St. Ita Parish, where he served until 1999. Bishop Casey, who is fluent in Spanish, was named associate director of Casa Jesús, a house of discernment for men from Latin America in 1998. In 1999, he became its full-time director. In 2003, he completed a 40-day pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain before becoming pastor of Our Lady of Tepeyac Parish and in 2008, he co-founded Taller de José, a ministry sponsored by the Congregation of St. Joseph that offers accompaniment to people in need. He served as pastor of St. Barbara Parish in Brookfield from 2009 to 2016, when he was appointed pastor of St. Bede the Venerable. He also served on the priests’ placement board and the priest steering committee for Renew My Church. Bishop Casey was appointed auxiliary bishop by Pope Francis on July 3, 2018, and ordained on Sept. 17, 2018.
Retired Auxiliary Bishop John Gorman celebrates 95th birthday Bishop John Gorman was ordained a priest in 1952, when Harry S. Truman was president of the United States and Venerable Pius XII was pope.
Three new auxiliary bishops ordained for archdiocese On the Nov. 13 feast day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Cardinal Cupich ordained three new auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Chicago — Bishops Kevin Birmingham, Jeffrey Grob and Robert Lombardo, CFR — during Mass at Holy Name Cathedral.
Bishop Birmingham: He has a ‘very pastoral approach’ When Bishop Kevin Birmingham received word that Pope Francis wanted him to be an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago, he was surprised, to say the least.