KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Friday was a monumental day for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville. The fourth bishop ever in its history was ordained at the Knoxville Convention Center — Bishop James Mark Beckman.
He was appointed in May and will now represent around 70,000 people who spent around a year without a bishop. The previous bishop, Bishop Emeritus Richard Stika, resigned during a crisis in leadership last June.
"We have an obedience to Rome and the Holy Father Pope Francis in Rome," said Jim Wogan, the director of communications for the Diocese of Knoxville. "But Bishop Beckman is his delegate. There's something called 'apostolic succession.' The 12 apostles that led the church after the death of Christ, after Christ's crucifixion, were appointed by Christ."
Stika resigned in 2023 amid allegations that he mishandled sex abuse allegations. He was the longest-serving bishop in the Knoxville Archdiocese, serving for 14 years. Stika claimed health issues were the reason for his resignation, though he said criticism played a role.
"We've been bishopless for 13 months and I think the faithful here are ready for a new shepherd, somebody to lead us into the future," said Wogan.
He also said the process can be long, involving lots of prayer and discernment to tell who should lead the area's faithful.
"There's a lot of discernment that's involved. The Holy Father in Rome had to assess whether Bishop Beckman was up to this challenge, whether he was the right guy and then guided by the Holy Spirit," said Wogan.
He said Bishop Beckman has a history of serving Tenessessee Dioceses. Beckamn served in the Diocese of Nashville since 1990, where Wogan said he cultivated a record as a spiritual leader and an administrator. He also said the new bishop has led parishes in Nashville.
"He knows what it takes to lead a large group of Catholics. I'm not sure anybody is prepared for the jump to become a bishop — it doesn't happen in the blink of an eye," said Wogan.
William Hewitt, the Faith and Action Community Director of the Tennessee Knights of Columbus said he was happy to have a new bishop.
"We're looking forward to having a shepherd to fulfill that for Northeast Tennessee and the Diocese. So, this is a great day and a blessed day for our church and for Jesus Christ," said Hewitt.
The diocese covers 36 counties and has 51 parish and mission churches across the area, according to its website. They can be found in rural areas, small towns and cities like Knoxville, Chattanooga and Crossville.