Pope Francis has appointed a priest who is a native of Tennessee to become the next Bishop of Knoxville.
“Pope Francis has appointed Reverend James Mark Beckman, as Bishop of Knoxville,” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). “Bishop-elect Beckman is a priest of the Diocese of Nashville, and currently serves as pastor of Saint Henry parish in Nashville, Tennessee. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 7, 2024, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.”
Beckman (pictured above) was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and graduated from Saint Ambrose College Seminary in Davenport, Iowa, with a bachelor’s degree in history before attending The Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, where he earned a master’s degree in religious studies.
He was ordained as a priest in 1990 and became a priest in the Diocese of Nashville. Since his ordination, he has served at five different schools and churches in the diocese.
“I am blessed and honored to accept this appointment from the Holy Father,” Bishop-elect Beckman said. “I am a native Tennessean, and I am grateful that I can continue serving the Church and now the faithful of the Diocese of Knoxville in this region that I know well and love tremendously.”
“Over the years I have made many friends in the Diocese of Nashville, and I have much gratitude for the support they’ve given me. I look forward to nurturing the same meaningful relationships with the Catholic community in East Tennessee,” he continued. “This is a wonderful diocese, and I am thrilled to be part of its future.”
He also received a vote of confidence from Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, who currently leads the Diocese of Knoxville.
“I have known Bishop-elect Beckman for a long time,” Fabre said. “We were seminarians together at the Catholic University in Louvain, Belgium many years ago. I believe in my heart that he will be a good shepherd for the faithful of the Diocese of Knoxville.”
According to the USCCB, the Diocese of Knoxville is comprised of 71,274 practicing Catholics.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter/X.
Photo “James Mark Beckman” by Diocese of Knoxville.
