New Bishop appointed to St. Louis

From the St Louis Post-Dispatch:

Pope John Paul II today named Bishop Raymond Burke of La Crosse, Wis., as archbishop of St. Louis.

The post has been vacant since Cardinal Justin Rigali took over the Philadelphia archdiocese in October.

Burke arrived in St. Louis Monday and spent his first night in the archbishop's residence on Lindell Boulevard. He will hold a news conference at 10:30 this morning at the pastoral center in Shrewsbury.

During a brief interview at the recent meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, he said, "I love St. Louis."

Like Rigali, the 55-year-old Burke has ties to Rome. He studied at the American seminary and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, was ordained a priest in a St. Peter's Basilica ceremony and was elevated to bishop in a ceremony presided over by Pope John Paul II. He is a canon (church) lawyer.

Burke, born in Richland Center, Wis., was appointed bishop of La Crosse on Dec. 10, 1994.

Burke will be installed as archbishop on the afternoon of Jan. 26 at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica on Lindell. That is the fifth anniversary of the visit of Pope John Paul II to St. Louis.

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For those who may not recall, Bishop Burke was one of the bishops who signed the letter proposing a Plenary Council for the Church in the U.S.

Here's a bio of Bishop Burke:

Bishop Burke was born in Richland Center, Wis., on June 30, 1948. He attended elementary school at St. Mary's, Richland Center, and after his family moved to Stratford, Wis., he attended St. Joseph's School there from 1959-62.

He attended high school at Holy Cross Seminary, La Crosse, Wis., from 1962-66, and also studied college courses there from 1966-68 before attending The Catholic University of America from 1968-71. He then studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 29, 1975, at St. Peter's Basilica by Pope Paul VI.

His first assignment was as associate rector of the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman, La Crosse, and he also taught religion at Aquinas High School in La Crosse. In 1980, he returned to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. After completing his studies, he was named Moderator of the Curia and Vice Chancellor of the Diocese of La Crosse in April of 1984.

In 1989, Father Burke returned to Rome when Pope John Paul II named him Defender of the Bond of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. He was serving in this position when he was appointed Bishop-Elect of the Diocese of La Crosse by Pope John Paul II on Dec. 10, 1994.

Bishop Burke's Episcopal ordination by Pope John Paul II took place at St. Peter's Basilica on Jan. 6, 1995, the Feast of the Epiphany. He was installed as diocesan bishop on Feb. 22, 1995, the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter.