EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) _ Pope Benedict XVI has named a 50-year-old Roman Catholic parish priest and vicar general as the new bishop of Evansville, the diocese said Tuesday.
Rev. Charles C. Thompson will replace Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger, the Evansville Diocese announced on its website.
Thompson is vicar general of the Archdiocese of Louisville, Ky., and pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Louisville. He’ll now lead a diocese that spans 12 southwest Indiana counties and serves 85,000 Catholics _ 17 percent of the area population, according to the announcement.
Gettelfinger, who turned 75 on Oct. 20, offered his retirement in November in accordance with church law. His replacement after just six months came faster than two other recent moves. For instance, Bishop John D’Arcy continued leading the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend for more than two years after turning 75 before new Bishop Kevin Rhoades replaced him in January 2010. Lafayette diocese Bishop William Higi waited more than a year before new Bishop Timothy Doherty replaced him last summer.
Thompson was born April 11, 1961, in Louisville. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Bellarmine College, a Master of Divinity degree from St. Meinrad School of Theology, and a Licentiate in Canon Law from St. Paul University in Ottawa.
He was ordained a priest for the Louisville Archdiocese in 1987 and has served in various church posts since, rising to vicar general, the second-highest administrative post, in 2008.
As Gettelfinger expected, his replacement came from outside the diocese.
Gettelfinger has said that the Evansville diocese will continue with a review on revitalizing its 69 parishes. The strategic planning process is encouraging parishes and schools to examine their viability, “especially in light of the priest shortage” and perhaps find ways to work together, Gettelfinger said.
Once he retires, Gettelfinger plans to live in a log cabin the diocese owns near Evansville. He said he plans to continue helping out in the diocese as needed.
Gettelfinger also plans to work as a chaplain at a large Boy Scout ranch in New Mexico, as he has the past few summers, and do some traveling in this country and abroad. Gettelfinger became the Evansville bishop in 1989 after serving as a priest and top administrator in the Indianapolis archdiocese.
The turnover among Indiana’s Catholic bishops will continue in coming years since Indianapolis Archbishop Daniel Buechlein and Gary Bishop Dale Melczek are both 72.
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Information from: Evansville Courier & Press, http://www.courierpress.com
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