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His Excellency, The Most Reverend Gerald Frederick Kicanas
Bishop Emeritus of Tucson
Bishop Kicanas in 2013.
Church	Roman Catholic
Diocese	Tucson
Appointed	October 30, 2001
Installed	March 7, 2003
Retired	October 3, 2017
Predecessor	Manuel Moreno
Successor	Edward Weisenburger
Previous post(s)	Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago and Titular Bishop of Bela (1995–2002)
Orders
Ordination	April 27, 1967 by John Patrick Cody
Consecration	March 20, 1995 by Joseph Bernardin, Alfred Leo Abramowicz, and Timothy Joseph Lyne
Personal details
Born	Gerald Frederick Kicanas (1941-08-18) August 18, 1941 (age 83) Chicago, Illinois
Motto	La justicia promueve la paz (Justice begets peace)

Styles of Gerald Frederick Kicanas
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Gerald Frederick Kicanas (born August 18, 1941) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Tucson in Arizona from 2002 to 2017. He served as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Las Cruces in New Mexico from September 2018 to July 2019.

Biography

Early life

Gerald Kicanas was born on August 18, 1941, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents of Lebanese heritage, Frederick and Eva Kicanas. He attended Immaculate Heart Elementary School and Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago. Kicanas obtained his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.

Priesthood

Kicanas was ordained by Cardinal John Patrick Cody to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago at St. Mary of the Lake on April 27, 1967. He then earned a Doctor of Educational Psychology degree and a Master of Education degree in guidance and counseling from Loyola University Chicago.

After working as an associate pastor until 1978, Kicanas held various offices at the archdiocesan seminary for over 25 years. He served as rector, principal, and dean of formation at Quigley Preparatory Seminary South in Chicago, and became rector of Mundelein Seminary at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois, in 1984. While rector, he also served as a lecturer in community and organization development at Loyola.

Kicanas' other diocesan jobs included acting as director of the Catholic Chaplaincy Program of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago, as a caseworker for Catholic Charities, and as chaplain for the Chicago Parental School, a facility for troubled boys.

Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago

On January 24, 1995, Pope John Paul II named Kicanas as an auxiliary bishop of Chicago and titular bishop of Bela. He received his episcopal consecration at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago on March 20, 1995, from Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, with Bishops Alfred Abramowicz and Timothy Lyne serving as co-consecrators. Kicanas chose to express his episcopal motto in both Spanish and English: "La Justicia Promueve La Paz" and "Justice begets peace".

During his tenure as an auxiliary bishop, Kicanas served as episcopal vicar for Vicariate I in the archdiocese, which includes Lake and Cook Counties. He also became involved with vocations, the permanent diaconate, and encouragement of lay ministry.

On January 24, 2012, the archdiocese released extensive records on the handling of sexual abuse allegations. These records showed decisions made by Kicanas in two cases.

• The first case was that of Daniel McCormack, a student at Mundelein Seminary when Kicanas was its administrator. According to the records, Kicanas knew about sexual abuse allegations against McCormack, but allowed his ordination anyway. In a statement, Kicanas denied knowledge of any accusations at that time.
• The second Chicago case involving Kicanas was that of Reverend Russ Romano. The records showed the following statement mentioning Kicanas:

  "I spoke to Jerry Kicanas and he suggested a two-part approach to Russ:  First, express concern for Russ and his personal problems, and second, to make it very clear that the drinking, movies, hugs, and kisses with our students must stop immediately."

In a 2012 response to the Romano case, Kicanas said that he was unaware at that time of sexual abuse allegations against Romano and would have asked for a much stronger response had he known.

Bishop of Tucson

Kicanas was named coadjutor bishop of Tucson on October 30, 2001 and became bishop after the resignation of Bishop Manuel Moreno on March 7, 2003.

On November 13, 2007, Kicanas was elected vice-president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), receiving 22 more votes than Archbishop Timothy Dolan. On February 28, 2008, the USCCB chose Kicanas as a member of the American delegation to the twelfth World Synod of Bishops in Vatican City in October 2008. In June 2009, Kicanas spoke at the annual meeting of the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management at the Wharton School in Philadelphia. His talk addressed the need for effective communications in the Catholic Church.

On November 16, 2010, Dolan defeated Kicanas in the vote for USCCB president. It was the first time in USCCB history that a sitting vice president was not elected president. According to an article in America: The Jesuit Review, conservative Catholic groups had mounted a strong lobbying campaign against Kicanas within the USCCB. On November 17, 2010, Cardinal Francis George, outgoing USCCB president, appointed Kicanas as chair of the board of directors of Catholic Relief Services.

Kicanas served as chair of the board of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) in Washington, D.C., and was a member of the board of directors of the National Pastoral Life Center in New York City.

Retirement

In 2017, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Kicanas as bishop of Tucson and named as his successor Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger.

Kicanas assumed the duties as chair of the board of directors at The National Catholic Educational Association on January 1, 2018, replacing Bishop George V. Murry. On September 28, 2018, Kicanas was named temporary apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Las Cruces after Bishop Oscar Cantu was appointed bishop of the Diocese of San Jose. His assignment as administrator in Las Cruces ended on July 23, 2019.

In December 2021, Kicanas underwent successful open heart surgery at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson. Kicanas remains in Tucson as bishop emeritus, assisting Weisenburger with pastoral duties around the diocese.

Honors and awards

• Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, in 2010
• Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, in 2011
• Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Award from the Catholic Common Ground Initiative in 2008
• Bishop John England Award from the Catholic Media Association in 2018

References

1. ^ "Bishop Gerald Frederick Kicanas [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
2. ^ "Bishop Kicanas". www.archmil.org. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
3. ^ "Documents released: Bishop Kicanas named in priest sex scandal cover up". www.kold.com. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
4. Goodstein, Laurie (March 8, 2003). "Resignation of Bishop in Troubled Tucson Diocese Is Accepted". New York Times. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
5. Allen Jr., John L. (November 13, 2007). "USCCB Day Two: Kicanas elected vice-president". Retrieved December 30, 2016.
6. "About | The Diocese of Tucson, AZ". Diocese of Tucson. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
7. "U.S. bishop delegates to World Synod appointed". Catholic News Agency. February 27, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
8. Gibson, David. "2009 Annual Meeting: Bishop Kicanas Speaks on Effective Church Communications". National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
9. Gerald Kicanas. "2009 Annual Meeting: Bishop Gerald Kicanas on effective communication". National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management. Archived from the original on January 1, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
10. Filteau, Jerry (November 16, 2010). "Spurning tradition, Bishops elect Dolan as new president". National Catholic Reporter. Archived from the original on January 1, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
11. Fox, Thomas C. (November 18, 2010). "U.S. bishops' rejection of Bishop Kicanas has got to hurt". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
12. "'Humbled' Dolan Downplays Election Results". America Magazine. 2010-11-16. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
13. "Bishop Kicanas of Tucson retires; pope names Kansas bishop his successor". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
14. "Bishop Kicanas of Tucson retires; pope names Kansas bishop his successor". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017.
15. "NCEA Press Release". www.ncea.org. 2018-01-01. Archived from the original on 2018-01-21. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
16. "Pope temporarily appoints Bishop Emeritus to the Diocese of las Cruces". KRQE News. September 30, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
17. "Most Rev. Gerald Kicanas, Apostolic Administrator of Las Cruces (2018-2019)". Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
18. "Retired Bishop Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., to undergo open heart surgery". Crux. 23 December 2021. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
19. "Bishop offers gratitude to those involved in his recent heart surgery". Crux. January 20, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
20. "Bishop Kicanas of Tucson retires; pope names Kansas bishop his successor". Catholic News Service. June 10, 2020. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
21. "Honorary Degree". University of Notre Dame. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
22. Asher, Julie (June 15, 2018). "Bishop Kicanas wins England award, stresses Catholic press' critical role". Catholic News Service.

• White, Christopher (October 23, 2017). "Vintage 'Bernardin Bishop' says Pope Francis is vindicating his legacy". Retrieved October 23, 2017.

External links

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson Official Site
• John L. Allen Jr., "Synod: Interview with Bishop Gerald Kicanas", National Catholic Reporter, October 13, 2008
• Gerald Kicanas, "When the soul sees desperate need, it does not turn away", National Catholic Reporter, August 9, 2016
• Catholic-Hierarchy
• Diocese of Tucson biography
• USCCB Office of Media Relations

Episcopal succession

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
Ordinaries	Bishops Jean-Baptiste Salpointe Peter Bourgade Henry Regis Granjon Daniel James Gercke Francis Joseph Green Manuel Duran Moreno Gerald Frederick Kicanas Edward Weisenburger Auxiliary bishops Francis Joseph Green
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Augustine
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v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
v t e Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Chicago Bishops William Quarter James Oliver Van de Velde Anthony O'Regan James Duggan Coadjutor bishop Thomas Patrick Roger Foley Archbishops Patrick Feehan James Edward Quigley George Mundelein Samuel Stritch Albert Gregory Meyer John Cody Joseph Bernardin Francis George Blase J. Cupich Catholicism portal
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v t e Education in the Archdiocese of Chicago Higher education DePaul University Dominican University Loyola University Chicago Saint Xavier University Stritch School of Medicine Seminaries Catholic Theological Union Saint Joseph College Seminary University of Saint Mary of the Lake High schools Chicago Brother Rice High School Christ the King Jesuit College Prep High School Cristo Rey Jesuit High School De La Salle Institute DePaul College Prep Hales Franciscan High School Holy Trinity High School Josephinum Academy Leo Catholic High School Marist High School Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School Mount Carmel High School Notre Dame High School for Girls Our Lady of Tepeyac High School Resurrection High School St. Benedict High School St. Francis de Sales High School St. Ignatius College Preparatory School St. Patrick High School St. Rita of Cascia High School Cook County St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights St. Laurence High School, Burbank Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights Nazareth Academy, La Grange Park Mount Assisi Academy, Lemont Notre Dame College Prep, Niles Fenwick High School, Oak Park Trinity High School, River Forest Guerin College Preparatory High School, River Grove Seton Academy, South Holland St. Joseph High School, Westchester Loyola Academy, Wilmette Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette Lake County Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, Lake Forest Carmel High School, Mundelein Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep, Waukegan Former Higher education Barat College Lexington College St. Viator College High schools Academy of Our Lady, Chicago Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Chicago Immaculata High School, Chicago Maria High School, Chicago Queen of Peace High School, Burbank St. Gregory the Great High School, Chicago St. Scholastica Academy, Chicago Saint Louise de Marillac High School, Northfield Grade school Our Lady of the Angels School, Chicago
v t e Clergy of the Archdiocese of Chicago Auxiliary bishops Alfred Leo Abramowicz Mark Andrew Bartosic Kevin M. Birmingham Robert Gerald Casey Edwin Michael Conway William Edward Cousins Michael Dempsey Gustavo García-Siller John R. Gorman Raymond E. Goedert Thomas Joseph Grady Wilton Daniel Gregory Jeffrey S. Grob Nevin William Hayes Ronald Aldon Hicks Raymond Peter Hillinger Edward Francis Hoban Thad J. Jakubowski Francis J. Kane Gerald Frederick Kicanas Jerome E. Listecki Robert J. Lombardo Timothy Joseph Lyne John R. Manz Alexander Joseph McGavick William Edward McManus William David O'Brien John L. May George V. Murry Cletus F. O'Donnell Thomas Paprocki Joseph N. Perry George J. Rassas Plácido Rodriguez Alberto Rojas Bernard James Sheil John George Vlazny Andrew Peter Wypych Priests who became bishop elsewhere Peter Joseph Baltes Robert Emmet Barron Romeo Roy Blanchette Stanislaus Vincent Bona Edward Braxton Maurice Francis Burke Edmund Michael Dunne Edward Joseph Dunne Edward Egan James Aloysius Griffin William Richard Griffin John Richard Keating James Patrick Keleher Moses E. Kiley Francis Joseph Magner Paul Marcinkus John McMullen Martin Dewey McNamara Peter Muldoon William Aloysius O'Connor Thomas Joseph Murphy Ernest John Primeau Paul Peter Rhode Patrick William Riordan Edward James Slattery Louis Tylka Raymond James Vonesh Aloysius John Wycisło Priests John George Alleman Thaddeus J. Butler Donald Martin Carroll George Clements Daniel Coughlin John Joseph Egan Andrew Greeley George G. Higgins Reynold Henry Hillenbrand Michael Pfleger Jeremiah J. Rodell
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• 1941 births
• Living people
• University of Saint Mary of the Lake alumni
• Loyola University Chicago alumni
• Roman Catholic bishops of Chicago
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
• Roman Catholic bishops of Tucson
• Religious leaders from Illinois
• Catholics from Illinois
• American people of Lebanese descent