Kevin Carl Rhoades (born November 26, 1957) is an

American Catholic The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the pope, who as of 2025 is Chicago, Illinois-born Leo XIV. With 23 percent of the United States' population , the Catholic Church is the cou ...

prelate who has served as Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend in Indiana since 2009. He previously served as Bishop of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2009. In 2021, Rhoades led the United States Conference of Bishops' Committee on Doctrine, which targeted President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

for his stance on abortion rights for women.

Biography

Early life

Kevin Rhoades was born on November 26, 1957, in

Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania Mahanoy City ( ) is a borough located southwest of Wilkes-Barre and 13 miles southwest of Hazleton, in northern Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Coal Region of Pennsylvania and is surrounded by (but not part ...

to Charles and Mary Rhoades. The second of three children, he has an older brother and a younger sister. His father was a cousin of Republican State Senator

James J. Rhoades James John Rhoades (December 5, 1941 – October 18, 2008) was a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who represented the 29th District from 1980 until his death. Biography Rhoades graduated from East Stroudsburg University ...

. Raised in

Lebanon, Pennsylvania Lebanon ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,814 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Lebanon was founded by George Steitz in 1740 and was originally named ...

, Rhoades graduated from Lebanon Catholic High School in 1975. Having decided to enter the priesthood, Rhoades enrolled at

Mount St. Mary's University Mount St. Mary's University is a private Catholic university in Emmitsburg, Maryland, United States. It has the largest Catholic seminary in the United States. Undergraduate programs are divided between the College of Liberal Arts, the Richar ...

in Emmitsburg, Maryland, for two years. Rhoades applied to the Diocese of Harrisburg for placement in the program of priestly formation, and in 1977 entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from St. Charles in 1979. In 1979, Rhoades entered the

Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Prie ...

and the

Pontifical Gregorian University Pontifical Gregorian University (; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana), is a private university, private pontifical university in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as a part of the Roman College, founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyo ...

in Rome. He also studied Spanish at the

Pontifical University of Salamanca The Pontifical University of Salamanca (in Spanish (language), Spanish: ''Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca'') is a Private university, private Catholic university, Roman Catholic university based in Salamanca, Spain. History This Pontifica ...

in Salamanca, Spain, during the summer of 1982. Archbishop

Terence Cooke Terence James Cooke (March 1, 1921 – October 6, 1983) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of New York from 1968 until his death, quietly battling leukemia throughout his tenure. He was named a cardinal in 1969. Cooke pre ...

ordained him a deacon at

St. Peter’s Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initially ...

in Rome in 1982. Rhoades obtained his

Bachelor of Sacred Theology The Bachelor of Sacred Theology (abbreviated STB) is the first of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the second being the Licentiate in Sacred Theology and the third being the Doctorate in Sacred Theology) which are conferred by a number o ...

degree from the Gregorian University in 1983.

Priesthood

Rhoades was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Harrisburg by Bishop William Keeler at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in

, on July 9, 1983. After his 1983 ordination, the diocese assigned Rhodes as

parochial vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

at St. Patrick Parish in

York, Pennsylvania York is a city in York County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located in South Central Pennsylvania, the city's population was 44,800 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in ...

. During this time, he also ministered in the Spanish-speaking apostolates at Cristo Salvador Parish in York and Cristo Rey Mission in Bendersville, Pennsylvania. In 1985, Rhoades returned to the Gregorian University, earning a

Licentiate of Sacred Theology Licentiate in Sacred Theology (; abbreviated LTh or STL) is the second of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the first being the Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology and the third being the Doctorate in Sacred Theology) which are conferred ...

in 1986 and a

Licentiate of Canon Law Licentiate of Canon Law (; JCL) is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law. Licentiate is the title of a person who ...

in 1988. After returning to Harrisburg in 1988, Keeler named Rhoades as assistant

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

. He also served as director of the Spanish

apostolate An apostolate is a Christian organization "directed to serving and evangelizing the world", most often associated with the Anglican Communion or the Catholic Church. In more general usage, an apostolate is an association of persons dedicated to the ...

in Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry counties. In 1990, Rhoades was appointed

pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in Harrisburg, serving there for five years. In 1995, he became a

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, teaching in

systematic theology Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topics ...

, canon law, and

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

ministry. Bishop Nicholas C. Dattilo appointed Rhoades as rector of Mount St. Mary's in July 1997.

Bishop of Harrisburg

On October 14, 2004, Rhoades was appointed as the ninth bishop of Harrisburg by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

. He received his

episcopal consecration A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

on December 9, 2004, from Cardinal

Justin Rigali Justin Francis Rigali (born April 19, 1935) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. After a diplomatic and academic career in Rome, he served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1994 to 2003. He then served as Archbishop of Philadelphia f ...

, with Keeler and Bishop

Thomas Olmsted Thomas James Olmsted (born January 21, 1947) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix in Arizona from 2003 to 2022. Olmsted previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Wichita in Kansas fr ...

serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churche ...

. Rhoades selected as his episcopal

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

: ''Veritatem In Caritate'', meaning, "Truth in Charity" (

Ephesians 4 Ephesians 4 is the fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Traditionally, it is believed to have been written by Apostle Paul while he was in prison in Rome (around AD 62), but more recently, ...

:15 in the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

). Within the USCCB, Rhoades was a member of the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, the Committee on Pastoral Practices, and the Subcommittee on the Catechism. He chaired the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. In 2006, Rhoades recommended to the Vatican that Reverend William Presley be

laicized In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the loss of clerical state (commonly referred to as laicization, dismissal, defrocking, and degradation) is the removal of a bishop, priest, or deacon from the status of being a member of the clergy. The ...

. Presley had faced allegations of sexual abuse in the 1970s when he was assigned to the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

in South Bend, Indiana. In his letter, Rhoades termed Presley as a "sexual predator" and a danger to the Catholic community. The Presley case was revealed in 2018 by the Pennsylvania Grand Jury investigation of sexual abuse in the church. The grand jury also revealed that in 2007 Rhoades told the Vatican that he had ordered a second priest accused of sexual abuse to spend the rest of his life in

penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of contrition for sins committed, as well as an alternative name for the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. The word ''penance'' derive ...

. In both cases, Rhoades reported the accused priest to law enforcement, but not to the general public, fearing a scandal.

Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend

On November 14, 2009,

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

named Rhoades as the ninth bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend. At a special

Vespers Vespers /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a Christian liturgy, liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgy, Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental O ...

service at the Cathedral on Sunday, January 3, 2010, the Diocese of Harrisburg made a formal farewell to Rhoades. In 2011, he became the first bishop to grant an

imprimatur An imprimatur (sometimes abbreviated as ''impr.'', from Latin, "let it be printed") is a declaration authorizing publication of a book. The term is also applied loosely to any mark of approval or endorsement. The imprimatur rule in the Catho ...

to an

iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...

application. During the 2017 Fall General Assembly of the USCCB, Rhoades was elected chair of the Committee on Doctrine. Under his leadership, the committee targeted President

and other Democratic Catholic politicians for their positions in favor of abortion. On August 1, 2018, Bishop Ronald Gainer, the bishop of Harrisburg, announced that he was removing the names of every bishop of Harrisburg from 1947 onward—including Rhoades'—from any building or room in the diocese named in their honor. Gainer took this action due to the bishops' failures to protect parishioners from

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...

by clerics. A room in St. Patrick Cathedral had been named after Rhodes. On September 18, 2018, Rhoades released the names of 18 priests and deacons in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend who had credible accusations of sexually abusing minors. That same month, an unidentified male claimed that Rhoades had sexually abused him as a minor. After a brief investigation, the Dauphin County District Attorney declared the accusation to be unfounded. A

lawsuit A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today ...

against Rhoades and the Diocese of Harrisburg was filed in July 2019 by Donald Asbee, a Pennsylvania resident. Asbee alleged that he was sexually abused as a boy by two diocesan priests and that the diocese and its bishops tried to cover up the priests' crimes. The diocese had offered Asbee a $176,875 settlement, but he rejected it and sued instead. Rhoades is a leading member of the USCCB's National Eucharistic Revival. For the

Feast of Corpus Christi The Feast of Corpus Christi (), also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a liturgical solemnity celebrating the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist; the feast is observed by the Latin Church, in addition to ...

in 2022, he arranged a

eucharistic procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend which drew nearly 5,000 participants and garnered national attention.On November 16, 2022, Rhoades was elected as chair of the USCCB's Committee on Religious Liberty.

References

External links

Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
official website

official website

Episcopal succession

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhoades, Kevin C. 1957 births Living people People from Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Fort Wayne–South Bend Roman Catholic bishops of Harrisburg Mount St. Mary's University alumni St. Charles Borromeo Seminary alumni Pontifical University of Salamanca alumni