As mentioned earlier, this morning Pope Benedict XVI appointed Monsignor Robert Gruss, 55, former Vice-Rector of Rome’s Pontifical North American College, as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City. Bishop-elect Gruss succeeds Bishop Blase Cupich, who was sent west in June of last year to shepherd the Diocese of Spokane.

Msgr. Gruss was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Davenport in 1994 after completing his studies at Rome’s North American College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology from St. Ambrose University, a Bachelor of Sacred Theology and a Master of Spiritual Theology, both from the Angelicum.

Within the Diocese of Davenport, Gruss has held a variety of positions, including: Director of Vocations, Chancellor, Director of the Propagation of the Faith and Director of the Victim Assistance Program.

Bishop-elect Gruss was named a Chaplain to His Holiness by Pope Benedict in August 2007. Around that same time, Msgr. Gruss was returning to the Pontifical North American College where he would serve as Vice-Rector and Director of Human Formation until 2010. Until this morning, Gruss had been serving in his current position as Rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.

In a press release from the Davenport Diocese [PDF], Bishop-elect Gruss stated: “It is with deep humility and gratitude that I have accepted the Holy Father’s appointment as the next bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City. While it all seems a bit overwhelming at the moment, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve God, the Church and the people of this diocese.”

This morning, Pope Benedict XVI made the following appointments for the United States:

• Monsignor Robert Gruss, priest of the Diocese of Davenport and former Vice-Rector of the North American College in Rome, as bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City in South Dakota.
• Father Donald hying, priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and Rector of St. Francis de Sales Seminary, as auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese.

More detailed posts are in the works. Check back in a few.

Credit: Diocese of Steubenville

This morning, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Robert Daniel Conlon, 62, as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois. He succeeds Bishop J. Peter Sartain who was appointed Archbishop of Seattle in September 2010.

Bishop Conlon was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on January 15, 1977 after completing his theological studies at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary of the West. Since becoming a priest, Conlon has served as associate pastor, as well as Director of the Office of Planning and Research and Assistant Chancellor for the Cincinnati Archdiocese.

In 1987 then-Father Conlon received the degrees of Doctor of Canon Law and Doctor of Philosophy from St. Paul University in Ottawa. Upon his return to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Conlon was appointed Chancellor and Director of the Department of Executive Services.

In 1996, the soon-to-be-bishop returned to parish life, being named pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish. Conlon served in that position until 2002, when he was appointed bishop of the Steubenville diocese by Pope John Paul II.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of the Archdiocese of Miami released the following statement upon the announcement of Bishop Felipe Estevez as tenth bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine:

I congratulate Bishop Estevez on his appointment as the new Bishop of St. Augustine. He brings many gifts to Northeast Florida – as a priest, he has served as a pastor, spiritual director, seminary rector, and as a very effective preacher of retreats and missions in three languages: English, Spanish and French; as an auxiliary bishop, he has ably assisted my predecessor and now me in the governance of the See of Miami, especially providing wisdom and direction in the coordination of the rich expression of ecclesial groups and apostolic movements active in the Archdiocese.

St. Augustine, the city where the Servant of God, Padre Felix Varela, died in exile from his native Cuba, is not unknown to Bishop Estevez – he has had occasion to visit there many times; and not a few of the clergy of St. Augustine also know Bishop Estevez as a former rector and spiritual director of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary.

While the People of God here in South Florida rejoice over Northeast Florida’s good fortune in having Bishop Estevez as their new shepherd, we will certainly miss him. Bishop Estevez has not only been a brother priest and bishop to me, he has, for more than 35 years, been and still is my good friend. I look forward to continue working with him as one of the six suffragan bishops of the Ecclesiastic Province of Miami.

Source: Archdiocese of Miami

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine

According to local reports, a replacement for Bishop Victor Galeone will be announced tomorrow at Roman noontime. The Diocese of St. Augustine has scheduled a press conference for 10:30 a.m.

More in the morning!