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Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Statement on Several Recent Supreme Court Decisions

There have been a number of Supreme Court decisions these past several weeks on matters of importance to the Church regarding life, justice, and religious liberty.

Sadly, the grave injustice of Roe v. Wade denying the fundamental right to life of the unborn continues with legalized abortion. The June 29th Supreme Court decision striking down the Louisiana law requiring abortion doctors to have hospital admitting privileges was very disappointing. We must continue to pray and work for an end to the evil of abortion.

It was also deeply disappointing that the Supreme Court effectively redefined the legal meaning of “sex” in our nation’s civil rights law by including “sexual orientation” and “transgender” status in the category of “sex” within the prohibition on employment discrimination. As Archbishop Gomez, the president of the USCCB noted: “Protecting our neighbors from unjust discrimination does not require redefining human nature.”

On the positive side, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to the unjust and mostly anti-Catholic Blaine Amendments in many states’ constitutions dating back to the late 19th century. The Montana Supreme Court invalidated a tax credit scholarship program because families benefiting included those who chose to send their children to religiously-affiliated schools. Thankfully, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot discriminate against religious persons and institutions in this way. We must continue to pray and work that the legacy of Blaine Amendments in many states, including our own, will end.

Another positive development is today’s decision of the Supreme Court defending and upholding the right of Catholic schools, free of government interference, to choose teachers who will teach and model the Catholic faith. This is a victory for religious liberty and the free exercise of our religion (First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution). Our Catholic schools carry out a ministry of the Church and we have an important right to decide who will teach and serve in our schools in fidelity to our Catholic mission.

Today there was also good news regarding religious liberty in the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of the Little Sisters of the Poor. The Church has vigorously fought government attempts to force our Catholic institutions to cooperate with immoral activities specifically through the “contraceptive mandate” of the Affordable Care Act. We must be free to operate our schools, health care facilities, and other institutions in accordance with the truths of our faith.

Finally, several weeks ago, the Supreme Court issued an opinion preventing the Administration from terminating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This reprieve for nearly 800,000 young people, including a number of wonderful young adults in our diocese, is encouraging, however, we still need legislation from Congress that will provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers.

Monday, June 1, 2020

Statement on the Death of George Floyd and Nationwide Protests

“I share the following sentiments of my brother U.S. Bishops: “We are broken-hearted, sickened, and outraged to watch another video of an African American man being killed before our very eyes.” The tragic and senseless death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week, like that of Ahmaud Arbery this past February in Georgia, reminds us that the vile evil of racism still persists in our nation.

Racism is a pervasive social evil that we must be committed to fighting and eradicating wherever we find it, in ourselves and in society. It is antithetical to our Christian faith which proclaims the dignity of every human person created in the image and likeness of God.

In many cities across our nation, including in Fort Wayne and South Bend, people have gathered to rightly protest the killing of George Floyd and the injustices suffered by African-Americans in our country. Sadly, violence has broken out at protests in many places. Rioting and looting only cause further injustice. Violence solves nothing and causes further harm.

Substantive changes are needed in our society to eradicate racism and racial injustice, beginning with a commitment to respect for the life and God-given dignity of every human person. Let us pray that God will heal our society and help our nation to put an end to the destructive evil of racism and an end to violence in our communities.

I am asking our priests to offer the special ‘Mass for the Preservation of Peace and Justice’ on a day this week. Let us pray for the eternal repose of the soul of George Floyd, for his family, for all victims of racial injustice, and for the many good men and women in law enforcement who serve with honor and who respect the human dignity of all whom they serve.”

Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades
Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Monday, May 18, 2020

Priest assignments

The Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades, Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, has made the following assignments of priests, effective June 23, 2020:

Reverend Jonathan Agbedo, to temporary Parochial Vicar, St. Jude Parish, Fort Wayne.

Reverend Craig Borchard, from Parochial Vicar, St. Michael Parish, Plymouth, to Pastor, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Elkhart.

Reverend Matthew Coonan, from Pastor, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Elkhart, to Pastor, St. Therese Parish, Fort Wayne, and Pastor, St. Henry Parish, Fort Wayne.

Reverend Louis Fowoyo, from Parochial Vicar, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Fort Wayne, to Pastor, St. Louis, Besancon Parish, New Haven.

Reverend Robert Garrow, from Pastor, St. Anthony de Padua Parish, South Bend, to Pastor, St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, New Carlisle.

Reverend Patrick Hake, Parochial Vicar, St. John the Baptist Parish, Fort Wayne, to Pastor, St. Peter Parish, Fort Wayne, and Part-Time Chaplain, Bishop Luers High School, Fort Wayne.

Reverend Msgr. Michael Heintz, to temporary summer Administrator, St. Patrick Parish, Walkerton.

Reverend David Huneck, from Parochial Vicar, St. Jude Parish, Fort Wayne, to Pastor, St. Paul of the Cross Parish, Columbia City, while continuing as part-time Chaplain, Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne.

Reverend Wimal Jayasuryia, from Parochial Vicar, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Fort Wayne, to Pastor, St. Mary Mother of God Parish, Fort Wayne, while continuing as a Judge in the diocesan Tribunal.

Reverend Paul McCarthy, from Pastor, St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, New Carlisle, to retirement.

Reverend Benjamin Muhlenkamp, from Pastor, St. Louis, Besancon Parish, New Haven, to Pastor, St. Anthony de Padua Parish, South Bend.

Reverend Luke Okoye, to Parochial Vicar, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Fort Wayne.

Reverend Peter Pacini, CSC, from administrator of St. Bavo Parish, Mishawaka, to pastor of St. Bavo Parish, Mishawaka.

Reverend Gary Sigler, from Pastor, St. Paul of the Cross Parish, Columbia City, to retirement.

Reverend Spenser St. Louis, to Parochial Vicar, St. Michael Parish, Plymouth.

Reverend Phillip Widmann, from Pastor, St. Mary Mother of God Parish, Fort Wayne, to retirement, while continuing as Director of the Diocesan Museum.

Reverend Thomas Zehr, from Parochial Vicar, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Fort Wayne, to Parochial Vicar, St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Fort Wayne, and Priest Chaplain at Purdue University, Fort Wayne, while continuing to serve as Priest Chaplain at Bishop Luers High School, Fort Wayne.

Reverend Eric Zimmer, from Pastor, St. Patrick Parish, Walkerton, to President of the University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne.


The Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades, Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, has also made the following assignments:

Reverend Donald Davison, C.PP.S., to Pastor, St. Patrick Parish, Walkerton, effective August 20, 2020.

Deacon Dan Koehl, to diaconal ministry, St. Jude Parish, Fort Wayne, effective June 1, 2020.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Public liturgies to resume with restrictions for safety

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This past Friday, Governor Holcomb issued his "Back on Track" Roadmap to Safely Reopen Indiana. This roadmap is designed to safely open Indiana's economy, but it also includes guideline for places of worship and allows the re-convening of religious services inside churches.

This past Monday, the five Bishops of Indiana agreed that we would all begin to resume public liturgies by May 30th, the Vigil of Pentecost, with the proper restrictions for safety. We also jointly decided that we would maintain the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass until at least August 15th.

After much consultation, I have decided to lift the suspension on public liturgies here in our diocese beginning on the weekend of May 23-24, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. Though we were not able to celebrate in person together the Resurrection of the Lord on Easter Sunday, we will be able to celebrate together Our Lord's glorious Ascension. Mass attendance that weekend and following will need to be limited in order to observe the necessary social distancing within our churches. I am leaving it to our pastors to decide how to handle how many people can attend any given Mass. We have not specified a number since our churches differ in size and seating capacity. I know that some parishes will be increasing the number of Sunday Masses.

It is absolutely essential that we observe the required social distancing in our churches (and also outside the church, in the parking lot, etc.), a most effective means to prevent the spread of the virus. We are also mandating that all wear face masks within our churches. I ask everyone to observe these regulations of our diocese and our government so that we do not contribute to a rebound effect that would force us to take steps back and even force us to suspend public liturgies again.

I have informed our pastors that, in the event of stricter rules and regulations mandated by local government because of particular circumstances (e.g. a serious outbreak of the virus in a local area), those directives should be followed. Such directives may be stricter than the diocesan and state directives.

During the weekend of May 16-17, I am allowing First Holy Communion Masses to be celebrated in our parishes. These are not per se "public Masses" since attendance will be open only to first communicants and their families and invited guests. I felt it was important to do this for the sake of our children who have been so eagerly awaiting to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist for the first time. I have left it up to the pastors to decide if their parishes are ready and prepared for First Communions on that weekend.

I know it will be a challenge to organize the numbers of people who might attend any particular Mass. There will no doubt be some challenges, so I ask everyone to be patient. This is new territory for all of us. We want to accommodate as many people as is safely possible. There is no "perfect" plan in the situation we face and we are all doing our best in resuming public liturgies while, at the same time, taking the necessary precautions to protect people from the virus and to serve the common good. This will require everyone's cooperation, patience, and understanding. I know I can count on you, the people of our diocese, who have been so cooperative these past two months. It has been beautiful for me to see our spiritual solidarity during this pandemic:

You may wish to check out the more specific liturgical directives and recommendations from our Diocesan Office of Worship. They can be found on www.diocesefwsb.org/covid-19.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, to whom our nation, our diocese, and our parishes were re-consecrated on May 1st, intercede for us as we follow our roadmap to a safer earthly situation, and, even more importantly, as we strive to follow the roadmap to the safety and joy of heaven! And may Pope Saint John Paul II, whose 100th birthday is May 18th, intercede for us! May God bless you!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Masses suspended across the diocese

Dear Faithful of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend,
Véase la carta en español aquí. 

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, I write to encourage you, in the words of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, “to live this difficult moment with the strength of the faith, the certainty of hope, and the ardor of charity.”

Like many other dioceses throughout our country and world, I have made the difficult decision, along with the other bishops of Indiana, to suspend the celebration of public Masses in our diocese due to the escalation of the virus and to help prevent its spread. This suspension begins on Wednesday, March 18th, and will remain in effect until further notice.

Not being able to attend Mass is very difficult spiritually since the Holy Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” As Catholics, we must do our part to help protect those who could be infected by the virus at public gatherings.

Please know that I and our priests will be praying fervently for you at our daily private celebrations of Mass. I encourage you to make an act of “spiritual communion,” especially on Sundays. Saint Thomas Aquinas defined “spiritual communion” as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Holy Sacrament and a loving embrace as though we had already received Him.” You can use the following prayer from Saint Alphonsus Liguori to make a “spiritual communion”:

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love you above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least into my heart. I embrace You as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

Saint Teresa of Avila wrote: “When you cannot receive Communion and cannot attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; by it the love of God will be greatly impressed on you.”

I encourage you during this time to watch Holy Mass on television or the online Masses being live-streamed from many of our parishes, including a live-streamed Mass that I will be celebrating every Sunday at 10:00 AM. I also encourage you to reflect on the Sunday readings and to take time for personal and family prayer by reciting together the holy rosary, the Divine Mercy chaplet or the Stations of the Cross.

As members of the Body of Christ, let us be united in our prayers for one another and especially for those here or abroad who are suffering from illness or have died from the virus infection. Let us also remember in our prayers the valiant doctors, nurses, and other health care workers who are working hard to bring healing to the sick as well as our priests and pastoral workers who are providing sacramental and pastoral care to the sick and dying.

In this time of “social isolation,” let us not be isolated in our hearts from those who need our love, care, and compassion. I am very edified by so many of our faithful who are bringing food to the elderly and staying in contact with those who may feel lonely, anxious, or depressed during this time. Thank you to all who are doing corporal and spiritual works of mercy in this Lenten season and offering assistance to those in need during this pandemic.

Jesus invites us, His disciples, to follow Him by taking up the cross. Not being able to attend Mass is a heavy cross, but one that we can carry with the help of the Lord. We are united in spirit with our brothers and sisters throughout the world who are also unable to attend Mass because of the pandemic and also with those who regularly cannot go to Mass because of sickness, persecution, or a shortage of priests. I hope and pray that this experience will deepen everyone’s desire to receive our Lord in the Eucharist, the great gift that we can too often take for granted.

Finally, let us implore our Blessed Mother, as the patroness of our diocese under the title of the Immaculate Conception, as well as Saint Matthew, our secondary patron, to intercede for us during this trial. Let us remember that Jesus is always with us and nothing can separate us from His love. Let us live in His love and spread His love in our community. May God bless you!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades
Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Statement on Friendship with Our Jewish Brothers and Sisters

This past November, over 1,000 Catholics and Jews of Fort Wayne, Indiana, gathered to pray together at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in a beautiful service during the visit to our community of the “Violins of Hope” — violins that were played by Jewish prisoners at concentrations camps during the Holocaust. Our praying the psalms together and listening to the violins and our communities’ choirs brought us tears of both sadness and joy — sadness at the horrors of the Holocaust, and joy at the love we share as brothers and sisters, drawn together by a common spiritual patrimony.

We recognize that the anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism of past centuries contributed to the rise of the Nazi project to exterminate Jews. Learning from the tragedy of the Holocaust, the Church deplored in her 1965 landmark document, Nostra Aetate (In Our Time), “all hatreds, persecutions, displays of antisemitism leveled at any time or from any source against the Jews.” This important statement from the Second Vatican Council also affirmed that “the Jews should not be spoken of as rejected or accursed as if this followed from holy Scripture. Consequently, all must take care, lest in catechizing or in preaching the Word of God, they teach anything which is not in accord with the truth of the Gospel message or the spirit of Christ” (NA 4).

Unfortunately, there has been a rise in recent years of anti-Jewish and anti-Semitic rhetoric in our society. Further, there have been incidents of violence incited by hateful speech about Jews. The Church has firmly condemned such rhetoric and violence. Those who speak of Jews as our enemies are mistaken. Pope St. Paul VI, Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis have consistently referred to our Jewish brothers and sisters as “friends” whom we love and esteem, not as enemies or adversaries whom we reject. Language matters. Language that incites animosity is harmful. This is not to say that there are not disagreements between Christians and Jews about matters of faith, but such disagreements need not imply hostility. The only truly Christian attitude towards the Jewish people is an attitude of respect, esteem, and love. As members of God’s family, we are bound to one another in His plan of salvation.

Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches as the authentic doctrine of our faith regarding the relationship of the Church with the Jewish people:
When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish people, ‘the first to hear the Word of God.’  The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God’s revelation in the Old Testament. To the Jews ‘belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ’ (Romans 9:4-5), ‘for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable’ (Romans 11:29). (CCC 839)

  We must never forget that Judaism was the religion of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the apostles, and of the early disciples who spread the good news of Christ to the world (cf. NA 4). The four gospels were written by Jews, about a Jew and originally for a Jewish readership. The Jewish people, then, are Jesus’ own family.

Though many Jews did not accept the Gospel or opposed its spreading, they were not thereby rejected by God. In this regard, the Council Fathers stated that “even so, the apostle Paul maintains that the Jews remain very dear to God, for the sake of the patriarchs, since God does not take back the gifts he bestowed or the choice he made” (NA 4).

Very importantly, the Second Vatican Council rejected the accusation that Jews were “Christ-killers,” a charge that through the centuries resulted in anti-Jewish hatred and persecution. The Council Fathers stated the following: “Even though the Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ (cf. John 19:6), neither all Jews indiscriminately at that time, nor Jews today, can be charged with the crimes committed during his passion” (NA 4). In fact, Church teaching is clear regarding who was responsible for the death of Jesus: it is all of us! The Catechism says: “In her Magisterial teaching of the faith and in the witness of her saints, the Church has never forgotten that ‘sinners were the authors and the ministers of all the sufferings that the divine Redeemer endured’ (NA 4). Taking into account the fact that our sins affect Christ himself, the Church does not hesitate to impute to Christians the gravest responsibility for the torments inflicted upon Jesus, a responsibility with which they have all too often burdened the Jews alone” (CCC 598).

These authoritative statements of the Second Vatican Council have been communicated and expanded upon by all our recent Popes. These teachings are not optional for Catholics but require our consent as true expressions of our faith. Negative language towards Jews as a people, a culture or a religion, is not acceptable. For example, some authors partially quote a few Biblical texts to justify anti-Jewish sentiments — texts that either refer only to certain categories of Jews, or that defend the Christian mission against Jews who originally opposed it. While some of these passages are polemical in tone, they nevertheless do not reflect contempt or hostility for Jews themselves, as the Pontifical Biblical Commission explained in its 2002 statement, “The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible.” There, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger emphasized that such texts should not be used as a pretext for anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish contempt. Instead, they need to be interpreted first, in relation to the whole message of the Bible and second, according to their concrete historical context; viz., as growing from within the conflicts between the nascent Church and the broader Jewish community, or as a part of the eventual division between the young Church and Judaism by the time of the Emperor Constantine (314 AD). However, no matter their differences, the parting of ways between Christians and Jews never canceled out the spiritual bond between these two parts of the same family.

Some writers today do not present Jews or Judaism in a respectful or theologically correct manner. The Vatican Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews issued an important 1985 document: “Notes on the Correct Way to Present the Jews and Judaism in Preaching and Catechesis in the Roman Catholic Church.” In that document, the Commission states that “we must rid ourselves… of the traditional idea of a people punished, preserved as a living argument for Christian apologetic. It remains a chosen people […] the permanence of Israel is accompanied by a continuous spiritual fecundity.” As a result, the Catholic Church offers no shelter to anti-Jewish bias, regardless of its content or expression. This applies to racist statements against Jews, to anti-Semitism, or to any religious opinion that denigrates Jews or Judaism.

It was Pope St. John Paul II who coined the beautiful expression of our “elder brothers” as he spoke to Jews in the synagogue of Rome on April 13th, 1986. A few years ago, in the same synagogue, Pope Francis recalled this very phrase and again told the Jewish community there: “You are our elder brothers and sisters in the faith.” It was my privilege to echo the teaching of both these popes this past November, when I used the same expression at our service at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church.

The Jews are not our enemies. We are bound together with them in friendship as brothers and sisters in the family of God. In the synagogue of Rome in 2016, Pope Francis spoke of the spiritual bond between Jews and Christians and the importance of fostering an authentic friendship. He said: “In interreligious dialogue it is fundamental that we encounter each other as brothers and sisters before our Creator and that we praise him: and that we respect and appreciate each other and try to cooperate.” This is especially important as the Church and the Jewish communities continue to address religious and ethical questions that both face in a world intent upon challenging religious freedom. Jews and Christians can impact society profoundly when they stand together on key issues such as the sanctity of human life, immigration reform, health care, human trafficking and world peace.

Even as we Catholics profess our belief in Christ as the Messiah, the Son of God, and Savior of the world, we also recognize God’s unfailing, steadfast love for His chosen people, Israel. In our mission of preaching Christ to the world, we do not dismiss or reject the spiritual treasures of the Jewish people. Also, as Pope St. John Paul II said in Miami in 1987: “Differences in faith should not cause enmity but open up the way of reconciliation, so that in the end ‘God may be all in all’ (1 Corinthians 15:28).” Similarly, Pope Benedict XVI said that in those areas of faith in which we diverge, “we need to show respect and love for one another” (Visit to Synagogue of Cologne, 19 August 2005).
In this age of social media, people read or listen to all kinds of opinions expressed about Judaism and the Jewish people on internet blogs, websites, and the like. Some are filled with false and hateful rhetoric, opposed to the very spirit of Christianity. As Catholics, we must reject any that express, or can lead to, contempt for Jews. It is important that Catholics embrace and follow the message of Nostra Aetate, the authoritative, Conciliar teaching of the Church. Pope St. John Paul II said that it is “a teaching which it is necessary to accept not merely as something fitting, but much more as an expression of the faith, as an inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as a word of the Divine Wisdom” (L’Osservatore Romano, 29 January 1985).

Let us give thanks to God for the growth in trust and friendship established between Catholics and Jews since the Second Vatican Council. May the Lord accompany us on our journey of friendship and bless us with His peace!

Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades
Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend



Friday, October 4, 2019

Indiana Catholic bishops call for renewed moratorium on federal executions

The federal government’s decision in July to end a 16-year moratorium on executing federal inmates is regrettable, unnecessary and morally unjustified. As we observe Respect Life Month in the Catholic Church, we, the Bishops of Indiana, in as much as federal executions are conducted in our State, ask President Trump to rescind the U.S. Justice Department’s decision to resume capital punishment later this year. We respectfully implore that the sentences of all federal death row inmates be commuted to life imprisonment.

In seeking to end the use of the death penalty, we do not dismiss the evil and harm caused by people who commit horrible crimes, especially murder. We share in the sorrow and loss of families and victims of such crimes. And we call upon our faith community and all persons of good will to stand with the victims and to provide spiritual, pastoral and personal support.

All life is a gift from God and each life has dignity. As recently confirmed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.” (CCC #2267) Capital punishment undermines the dignity of human life. Taking human life is justifiable only in self-defense, when there is no other way to protect oneself, another innocent person or society from extreme violence or death. In the case of incarcerated prisoners, the aggressor has been stopped and society is protected. Hence, it is no longer permissible to take the life.

In addition to the moral problems with capital punishment, it continues the cycle of violence; it neither helps the victims who survive, nor does it mitigate the loss of a loved one. And it precludes the possibility of reconciliation and rehabilitation. As Pope Francis has stated, “A just and necessary punishment must never exclude the dimension of hope and the goal of rehabilitation.”

The application of capital punishment also calls for its discontinuance. The problems are well documented. These include: Its unequal application to minorities, the poor and mentally ill; its cost, which is more expensive than a lifetime of incarceration; the more than 160 persons since 1977 serving time on death row who have been exonerated of their guilt; and the instances of innocent people being wrongly executed. Moreover, its application also impacts those who are associated with it, particularly correctional officers and those who are obligated to participate in taking a human life. The psychological and spiritual harm that these persons experience is real.

We join our brother bishops of the United States in calling for an end to the death penalty. Twenty-five states no longer use it as a form of punishment. We ask the federal government to continue its moratorium until it can be rescinded formally as a matter of law.

Most Reverend Charles C Thompson D.D., J.C.L., Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades, D.D., Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Most Reverend Timothy L Doherty, S.T.L., PhD., Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana

Most Reverend Joseph M Siegel D.D., S.T.L., Diocese of Evansville

Reverend Michael J. Yadron, diocesan administrator, Diocese of Gary