Pope Francis Names New Auxiliary Bishop of Joliet

WASHINGTON – Pope Francis has appointed Reverend Dennis Spies, as Auxiliary Bishop of Joliet. Bishop-elect Spies is a priest of the Diocese of Joliet, and currently serves as vicar for clergy of the Diocese of Joliet. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on September 27, 2024, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Spies was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Spies was born on March 5, 1968, in Clifton, Illinois. He graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture-business economics (1990). He received a master of divinity in theology, and a licentiate of sacred theology from Mundelein Seminary (2002). He was ordained to the priesthood on June 1, 2002.

Bishop-elect Spies’ assignments after ordination include: parochial vicar at Saint Walter in Roselle (2002-2005); pastor at Saint Liborius in Steger (2005-2016); and member of the faculty at Mundelein Seminary as director of the pre-theology and parish internship program (2016-2024). Since 2024, he has served as vicar for clergy for the Diocese of Joliet.

The Diocese of Joliet is comprised of 4,218 square miles in the state of Illinois and has a total population of 1,969,927 of which 501,292 are Catholic.

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