Welcome to Knoxville, Bishop-Elect Stika!
This morning was a joyful day for the Diocese of Knoxville as we welcomed our third bishop, Msgr. Richard Stika. We have been without one since Bishop Joseph Kurtz was appointed the Archbishop of Louisville in the summer of 2007. Allow me to share a few highlights and first impressions I brought away from the press conference this morning as well as a few minutes of chatting with the bishop-elect as he greeted all of us gathered there. Bishop-elect Stika struck me as being a man of strong faith. He has chosen as his episcopal motto, Jesus, I trust in You and when asked by someone what his goals as bishop would be he responded, “Preach Jesus”. He spoke about bringing the face of Christ to every person we meet as being the most real thing we can do as Christians. He struck me as someone who is humble and unassuming. He is a die-hard baseball fan who supports the St. Louis Cardinals and promised to bring boxes of signed baseballs from Stan “the man” Musial. I also learned he has Bi-Ritual faculties that allows him to celebrate liturgy in the Maronite Church, an Eastern Church in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Below is the announcement as reported at the USCCB website, followed by his statement this morning at our Chancery office.
Welcome Bishop-elect Stika! I enjoyed our brief conversation and look forward to getting to know you better as you begin to settle in your new home here in East Tennessee.
POPE NAMES MISSOURI PASTOR, MSGR. RICHARD F. STIKA, BISHOP OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
WASHINGTON—Pope Benedict XVI named Msgr. Richard F. Stika, 51, pastor of the Church of the Annunziata, in Ladue, Missouri, as Bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee.
The appointment was announced in Washington, January 12, by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Bishop-elect Stika succeeds Bishop Joseph Kurtz who headed the Knoxville Diocese before he was named Archbishop of Louisville in June 2007.
Richard Stika was born July 4, 1957, in St. Louis. He graduated from Bishop DuBourg High School and the University of St. Louis, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business. He then earned a Master of Arts degree in philosophy from Cardinal Glennon College and Master of Divinity degree in theology from Kenrick Seminary, in St. Louis.
He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of St. Louis on December 14, 1985.
Assignments after ordination included Associate Pastor, Mary Queen of Peace Parish, Webster Groves, Missouri, 1986-1991; Spiritual Director of the Catholic Youth Organization and Associate Director of Vocations; 1991-1994; Associate Pastor, St. Paul Parish, Fenton, Missouri, 1991-1992; Associate Pastor, Cathedral Parish, St. Louis, 1992-1994; Archdiocesan Chancellor, 1994-2004; Secretary to Archbishop Justin Rigali and Master of Ceremonies, 1994-1997; Vicar General and Vicar for Religious, 1997-2004; Member of the College of Consultors, 1997-2009; Coordinator of the Papal Visit to the Archdiocese, 1998-1999; Vicar for Priests, 2002-2005; and Pastor, Church of the Annunziata, Ladue, and Episcopal Vicar for Child and Youth Protection, 2004-2009.The Knoxville Diocese includes 14,242 square miles. The total population of the diocese is estimated at 2,265,548 people, with 58,528, or three percent, of them Catholic.
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The following is the text of Bishop-elect Richard F. Stika’s statement on his appointment as ordinary of the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee:
Good morning!
It was during the evening of December 16 that I received a phone call from the Apostolic Nuncio informing me that our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, had appointed me as the third bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville. It was a very gracious call that began a flood of emotion that now takes me to this special moment with you today!
I’ve had almost three weeks to prepare for this day…weeks that were filled with great faith-filled moments, as well as many very human moments of joy that I was coming to Knoxville and sadness that I will be leaving a community that I have known for 51 years. However, I was comforted by the fact that I also was traveling with the Church through the season of Advent, a season of joyful expectation, as well as Christmas, which is a reminder of God’s love for His people. But three weeks is enough. I’m glad it’s now today!
First, I wish to say I am most humbled by this appointment by the Holy Father. From the first moments of my ministry as a priest in St. Louis, I have always been grateful for the tremendous experiences I have witnessed of the goodness of God’s people.
To move from my home in St. Louis to Knoxville will be a real change for me. I am usually pretty adaptable to my surroundings. I know that I must contemplate a change of allegiance from the St. Louis Rams to the Tennessee Titans. This is a little easier, as the Rams only won two games this season, but they should be better. I must also pledge a certain loyalty to many state and local teams of Tennessee, especially the Tennessee Volunteers! And I was glad to learn that Knoxville Catholic High School’s soccer, tennis, and football teams recently won state championships!
However, I hope you will forgive me if I am not able to pledge loyalty to any baseball team except the St. Louis Cardinals. My Cardinals cap will travel with me as I now prepare to make my home in Knoxville. In fact, I am most blessed to have as one of my parishioners in St. Louis Stan Musial, a Hall of Famer since 1969 who also is a good friend and a true model of a baseball player.
In these last weeks I have spent many, moments in prayer and reflection on this new step in my life. These thoughts included a sense of gratitude to my parents, Frank and Helen Stika, both whom have been called home to God. They—together with so many—are part of this day today as they were part of my formation.
I also remember all the many people who have been so supportive to me throughout my life. In particular I express gratitude to the parishioners of Epiphany of Our Lord, Mary Queen of Peace, the Cathedral Basilica, and also those at the parish where I am now pastor, Church of the Anunziata.
Today I also express special gratitude to Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, my predecessor in the Diocese of Knoxville who now serves as Archbishop of Louisville. In addition, I am pleased that Bishop David Choby of Nashville and Bishop Terry Steib of Memphis are both present with us today, a clear demonstration of the world famous sense of southern hospitality. You may all like to know a bit of shared history I have with Bishop Steib—I had the privilege when I was in seminary of serving at the episcopal ordination of Bishop Steib when he was ordained for service as a bishop in St. Louis. He still looks the same today as he did then!
And, of course, I must also extend deep thanks to Father Al Humbrecht, the administrator of the Diocese of Knoxville these many months, as well as to all those who have assisted him in the leadership of the diocese.
In a special way this morning I greet you, my brother priests of the diocese, as well as the deacons and consecrated religious who serve the people of Knoxville. I am grateful for all the individual contributions of faith, sacrifice, and service that each one of you makes, and I look forward to working with all of you in the years ahead.
I would also like to greet the people of various faith communities in East Tennessee, whose collaboration I also look forward to.
Most of all, I greet the people of this great Church of Knoxville. I look forward to the years ahead as we strive to be the face of Jesus to all those we meet. I am most honored to be your bishop. You have waited for this moment for some time, and I pledge to you that, with the help of God, I will not disappoint you.
Finally, in these past few weeks as I have reflected and prayed, one item that has been on my mind especially is a practical one for a new bishop: the episcopal motto and coat of arms. I see my episcopal motto, in some ways, as a statement of who I am as a Christian and how I live my faith. At first I considered “And He made His dwelling among us,” which is from Saint John’s Gospel. This passage illustrated how I see the Church, with Christ present in our midst.
Eventually, though, my thought process evolved toward the motto, “Jesus, I trust in You.” This phrase, taken from the Divine Mercy devotion, reflects my need to trust in Jesus at all moments of my life, especially as I move into the future.
To the people of God of the Diocese of Knoxville, I thank you for your generous commitment in living and preaching the Gospel of Jesus. You ARE the Church—our Lord has given much to you, and the Lord expects much from you and from me.
And so I greet you all and thank you all and pledge myself to you. Please pray for me, that I may be a good servant of the Gospel, a good shepherd of this local Church, and a brother in Christ to all of you.
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