HR0507 LRB094 12471 CSA 46930 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Msgr. Kevin William Vann of the Diocese of
3 Springfield has been appointed Coadjutor Bishop-designate of
4 the Diocese of Fort Worth by Pope Benedict XVI; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The announcement was made May 17, 2005, in
6 Washington D.C., by Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, apostolic
7 nuncio to the United States; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Bishop-designate Kevin Vann will assist Bishop
9 Joseph P. Delaney in the day-to-day affairs of the diocese; as
10 a coadjutor, he will assume the office of bishop when the
11 office becomes vacant; the Diocese of Fort Worth is made up of
12 28 counties in north central Texas; it has more than 400,000
13 Catholics, with 90 parishes served by 113 priests and 62
14 deacons; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Msgr. Vann is currently the Pastor of Blessed
16 Sacrament Catholic Church in Springfield and Vicar for Priests
17 of the diocese; he was born May 10, 1951, was baptized in
18 Blessed Sacrament Parish, and grew up in nearby St. Agnes
19 Parish; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Prior to entering the seminary, Msgr. Vann
21 received his associate's degree from Springfield College in
22 Illinois and his bachelor's degree in medical technology from
23 Millikin University in Decatur; he began his religious studies
24 at the Diocesan Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in
25 Springfield, and then graduated from Kenrick Seminary in St.
26 Louis; he received his diploma in Latin Letters from Pontifical
27 Gregorian University, Rome, and his canon law degree from the
28 Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome; he also
29 taught canon law at Kenrick Seminary; and
 
30     WHEREAS, As a newly-ordained priest, Msgr. Vann was a

 

 

HR0507 - 2 - LRB094 12471 CSA 46930 r

1 parochial vicar at Cathedral Parish and Blessed Sacrament
2 Parish in Springfield; he was pastor at St. Benedict in Auburn
3 and Our Lady of Lourdes; while retaining his principal
4 parochial assignments, he acted as parochial administrator to
5 St. Mary Parish in Pittsfield, Holy Redeemer Parish in Barry,
6 Holy Family Parish in Griggsville (1989-1990), St. Mary in
7 Pawnee (1991-1992), Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Mt. Zion
8 (1995), St. Isidore in Bethany, and Sacred Heart in Dalton City
9 (1995-1997); and
 
10     WHEREAS, Msgr. Vann served as diocesan judge, defender of
11 the bond, and advocate for the Office of the Tribunal for nine
12 years; he was dean of the Decatur Deanery from 1996 to 2001 and
13 currently serves on the Committee for Hispanic Ministry and is
14 the Episcopal contact for Hispanic ministry; he served as a
15 judge on the Interdiocesan Court of Appeals, Province of
16 Chicago, and has served as adjutant judicial vicar since 1994;
17 he is a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre; in February of 2002, he
18 received the papal honor, being named a Chaplain to His
19 Holiness (Monsignor); therefore, be it
 
20     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
22 we congratulate Msgr. Kevin Vann on his appointment as
23 Coadjutor Bishop-designate of the Diocese of Fort Worth; and be
24 it further
 
25     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
26 presented to Msgr. Kevin Vann as an expression of our
27 admiration and esteem.