Former El Paso diocese vicar general Rev. John Stowe named bishop of Lexington, Ky.
The Rev. John Stowe, former vicar general of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, has been named the new bishop of Lexington, Kentucky by Pope Francis.
Stowe told Kentucky.com that he will emphasize worship and service.
Stowe, 48, was born in Amherst, Ohio and gave his solemn vows in 1992.
He was ordained a priest in 1995.
While in El Paso, Stowe served in a number of pastoral roles, inc luding:
D eputy priest, administrator and parish priest of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in El Paso
Vvicar general of the diocese of El Paso
Administrator of the Our Lady of the Valley parish; and chancellor of the diocese of El Paso
Stowe is currently provincial vicar of the Our Lady of Consolation Franciscan Conventual Province and rector of the Basilica and national shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio.
Stowe succeeds Bishop Ronald W. Gainer, who was appointed bishop of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, January 24, 2014.
The Diocese of Lexington comprises 16,423 square miles in eastern Kentucky and has a total population of 1,588,319 people, of whom 41,914, or three percent, are Catholic.
