James Vann Johnston, Jr.

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Styles of James Vann Johnston, Jr.


Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Monsignor
Posthumous style	not applicable

James Vann Johnston, Jr. (born October 16, 1959) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the sixth and current Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau.

[edit] Biography

James Vann Johnston, Jr. was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, to James (an accountant) and Pat (née Huber) Vann Johnston; his grandparents were Baptists^[1]. He has four younger siblings: two sisters, Beth and Amy, and one brother, Steve^[2]. He was a member of the Boy Scouts of America as a child, also being awarded the rank of Eagle Scout^[3]. After attending Knoxville Catholic High School, he studied at the University of Tennessee, from where he obtained his degree in electrical engineering in 1982, and then worked for an engineering consulting firm in Houston, Texas, until 1985.

The faith and generosity of his mother and the teachings of Pope John Paul II inspired him to enter the priesthood^[4], and he then entered Saint Meinrad School of Theology, where he earned a Master's degree in Divinity. Johnston was ordained for the Diocese of Knoxville by Bishop Anthony O'Connell on June 9, 1990; he was one of the first two priests ordained for the diocese after its creation^[5].

From 1994 to 1996, he attended the Catholic University of America, receiving a licentiate in canon law. Johnston then served as an associate pastor at St. Mary's Church in Oak Ridge and at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga, where he taught at Notre Dame High School as well. He then returned to Knoxville as associate pastor of Holy Ghost Church, where his family has been longtime parishioners. He was named chancellor and moderator of the diocesan curia of Knoxville in 1996, and later pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa, in addition to his curial duties, on May 14, 2007.

In 2002, Johnston and Frs. Kevin and John Dowling, saved a father and his two children during a hike at Glacier National Park in Montana. For their actions, the three priests were presented with the Citizen's Award for Bravery by Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton on February 2, 2005. Upon receivng the award, Johnston remarked, "We were all very surprised, partly because it happened two and a half years ago. We didn't think too many people were even aware of it"^[6].

Considered somewhat conservative in his views, Johnston supports the celebration of Tridentine Mass, although admitting he does not "hold a great personal attachment to it" due to his relatively young age^[7]. He also supports the use of the Gregorian chant^[8] and polyphony. He has cited Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, and Alan Jackson as some of his favorite musical artists.

On January 24, 2008, Johnston was appointed the sixth Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri, by Pope Benedict XVI. He later stated at a press conference, "I am eager to learn about the Church in Southern Missouri, and to become part of God's family here"^[9]. Johnston also announced that, as Bishop, he will "seek out those who have fallen away from the practice of their Catholic faith, reach out to the unchurched, and seek to meet brothers and sisters of other faith communities and churches on areas of common belief and shared concerns."

He received his episcopal consecration on the following March 31 from Archbishop Raymond Burke, with Archbishop Joseph Kurtz and Bishop John Leibrecht serving as co-consecrators.