Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Brendan J. Cahill as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, the diocese said in a press release.
Bishop Dennis E. Spies, Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Joliet, announced the appointment on Thursday.
Cahill steps into the role following Bishop Ronald Hicks, who was named archbishop of New York last December.
About Bishop Cahill
Cahill has served as bishop of the Diocese of Victoria, Texas, since he was appointed by Pope Francis in 2015.
Born in Florida in 1963, Cahill would later move to Houston, Texas, and attend St. Cecilia Catholic School. He graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1981.
He attended Rice University for one year before going to St. Mary Seminary in Houston in 1982. He also received both a Master of Divinity degree and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
After being ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston on May 19, 1990, Cahill began his years of service as a parochial vicar of St. Frances Cabrini Church in Houston, staying there for two years before moving to Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Spring.
Cahill has continued his academic studies throughout his priesthood, including at the Casa Santa Maria (North American College) in Rome. He has taught at the university level and served on several boards and organizations, including as a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ subcommittee on African-American Affairs.
He currently serves as Bishop Promoter for the Apostleship of the Sea in the United States, a role he’s held for nine years. Besides English, he also speaks Spanish and Italian.
More information
A press conference with Cahill will be held today at 2:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet, IL, and it will be livestreamed on the Diocese of Joliet YouTube channel.
Cahill’s installation Mass is scheduled for November of this year, with more details to follow.
Photo courtesy: The Diocese of Joliet
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