Joseph Kopacz

Last updated

Joseph R. Kopacz
Bishop of Jackson
Church Catholic Church
Diocese Jackson
AppointedDecember 12, 2013
InstalledFebruary 6, 2014
Predecessor Joseph Nunzio Latino
Orders
OrdinationMay 7, 1977
by  Joseph Carroll McCormick
ConsecrationFebruary 6, 2014
by  Thomas John Rodi, Joseph Nunzio Latino, and Joseph Bambera
Personal details
Born (1950-09-16) September 16, 1950 (age 73)
Alma mater
MottoFiat lux (Let there be light)
Styles of
Joseph Richard Kopacz
Coat of arms of Joseph Richard Kopacz.svg
Reference style
Spoken style Your Excellency
Religious style Bishop

Joseph Richard Kopacz (born September 16, 1950) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as bishop of the Diocese of Jackson in Mississippi since 2014. [1]

Contents

Biography

Early life and education

Joseph Kopacz was born in Dunmore, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Stanley and Carmella Calomino Kopacz. He is the second of three children with a brother, Robert, and a sister, Mary Ellen Negri. [2] Joseph Kopacz is a graduate of Dunmore Central Catholic High School. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Kopacz then entered the Seminary of Christ the King in Buffalo, New York, where he obtained a Master of Theology degree. [3] [2] He then went to New York City to attend Fordham University a Master of Arts degree in Latin. He obtained a master's degree in counseling and psychology and a doctorate in human development from Marywood University in Scranton. [4]

Priesthood

Kopacz was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Scranton on May 7, 1977, at St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton by Bishop Joseph McCormick. [5]

After his ordination, the diocese assigned Kopacz as parochial vicar of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania, and Epiphany Parish in Sayre, Pennsylvania. He also served as administrator of St. Patrick’s Parish in Nicholson, Pennsylvania. He was moved from these three parishes in 1980 to Saint Pius X Seminary in Dalton, Pennsylvania, to be a faculty member. Kopacz spent the next ten years at Saint Pius. [4]

In 1989, the diocese appointed Kopacz as pastor of three parishes in Jessup, Pennsylvania: Saint Michael, Saint James and Saint Stanislaus. [1] He was moved again in 1995 to the post of pastor at Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Scranton. In 1998, Bishop James Timlin named Kopacz as director of education at Saint Pius X. He left the seminary in 2002 to be pastor of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish in Scranton. [4]

Bishop Joseph Martino selected Kopacz in 2005 to serve as vicar general and vicar for clergy (February 2005 – August 2009). In 2006, he also became pastor of Most Holy Trinity Parish in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania. [4] Kopacz was a member of the council for finance and the coordinator of the Hispanic apostolate for Monroe County, Pennsylvania. [2] [4]

Bishop of Jackson

On December 12, 2013 Pope Francis appointed Kopacz as the eleventh bishop of Jackson. He was consecrated at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson by Archbishop Thomas Rodi on February 6, 2014. Emeritus Bishop Joseph Latino and Bishop Joseph Bambera were the principal co-consecrators. [5]

In March 2015, the diocese removed Reverend Lenin Vargas, the pastor at St. Joseph's Parish in Starkville, Mississippi, and Corpus Christi Parish in Macon, Mississippi. In February, the diocese had discovered that Vargas had been defrauding his parishioners for several years, fundraising for nonexistent cancer treatments. During a visit to Corpus Christi in March, Kopacz told parishioners that Vargas had been sent away for counseling, When asked about the fundraising, Kopacz did not inform them about Vargas' criminal activities. [6] Kopacz only revealed the fraud when local authorities started a criminal investigation in 2018. Vargas, who had previously fled to Mexico, was indicted in July 2020 on 10 counts of wire fraud. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

Joseph Anthony Ferrario was the third bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu and served from 1982 to 1993.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in North Carolina, United States

The Diocese of Charlotte is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in western North Carolina in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Atlanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis X. DiLorenzo</span> Catholic prelate

Francis Xavier DiLorenzo was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Richmond in Virginia from 2004 until his death in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Pennsylvania, USA

The Diocese of Scranton is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It is a suffragan see of Archdiocese of Philadelphia, established on March 3, 1868.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Mississippi, USA

The Diocese of Jackson is a Latin Church diocese in Mississippi in the United States. Its ecclesiastical jurisdiction includes the northern and central parts of the state, an area of 97,458 square kilometers (37,629 sq mi). It is the largest diocese, by area, east of the Mississippi River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Missouri, USA

The Diocese of Jefferson City is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in the state of Missouri in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of St. Louis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas John Rodi</span> American prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1949)

Thomas John Rodi is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has been serving as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Mobile in Alabama since 2008, having previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi in Mississippi from 2001 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Dougherty (bishop)</span> American Roman Catholic prelate (1932–2022)

John Martin Dougherty was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Dougherty served as the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2009.

James Clifford Timlin was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania from 1984 to 2003. Timlin was accused in a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report of covering up sexual abuse crimes by priests in his diocese during his tenure as bishop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William O'Hara</span> Irish-born American prelate

William O'Hara was an Irish-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the first bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania, serving from 1868 until his death in 1899. He founded St. Thomas College in 1888.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael John Hoban</span> American prelate

Michael John Hoban was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania from 1899 until his death in 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Charles O'Reilly</span> Catholic bishop (1873–1938)

Thomas Charles O'Reilly was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania from 1928 to 1938.

Joseph Carroll McCormick was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown in Pennsylvania (1960–1966) and bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania (1966–1983).

Eugene Augustine Garvey was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Altoona, serving from 1901 until his death in 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Bambera</span> American prelate of the Catholic Church

Joseph Charles Bambera is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the tenth and current Bishop of Scranton, serving since April 26, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl A. Kemme</span> American prelate

Carl Alan Kemme is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Since 2014, he has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Wichita in Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Patrick Powers</span>

James Patrick Powers is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Superior in Wisconsin since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Frederick Kihneman</span> American prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1952)

Louis Frederick Kihneman III is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi in Mississippi since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory Gordon (bishop)</span>

Gregory William Gordon is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as the first auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Las Vegas in Nevada since 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Walsh</span> American Roman Catholic priest and bishop

Jeffrey Joseph Walsh is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who serves as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord in Michigan.

References

  1. 1 2 "Rinunce e Nomine". Archived from the original on 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
  2. 1 2 3 "Pope Francis Appoints Father Joseph R. Kopacz, Ph.D., Diocese of Scranton Priest, as Bishop of Jackson, Mississippi « THE DIOCESE OF SCRANTON". Archived from the original on 2014-01-14. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
  3. "Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz". Catholic Diocese of Jackson. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Pope Names Bishops for Mississippi, Texas Dioceses". US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  5. 1 2 "Bishop Joseph Richard Kopacz [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  6. Fowler, Sarah. "Ex-Mississippi priest Vargas indicted. Affidavit accuses diocese of lying to parishioners". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  7. "Ex-priest indicted on wire fraud charges". WJTV. 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2024-02-29.

Episcopal succession

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Jackson
2014–Present
Succeeded by
Incumbent