Explainer: diocese leadership transitions

By DAWN PROSSER
Director of Communications
 
Bishop John E. Keehner recently published a lengthy list of the appointments of priests as deans and presbyteral council members on the Lumen Media news site. The bishop appointed Msgr. Kevin McCoy and Father Brad Pelzel as vicars general in May and both made their oaths for the office. However, the priests were not appointed to new positions, all were actually reappointments.
 
Why change?
“Although it may seem like a complete change in governance and leadership, it was not,” Father David Esquiliano, diocesan judicial vicar, pointed out.
 Bishop KeehnerHe explained that the diocese, or the see became vacant when Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Walker Nickless, bishop emeritus since Feb. 12. 
“On Feb. 12, Bishop Nickless, some people and some advisory boards ceased in their roles,” said the judicial vicar. “In reality there was no bishop, there was an apostolic administrator who happened to be a bishop (Bishop Nickless) … an outgoing bishop is named administrator until the new bishop takes possession.”
 Two major diocesan leaders – Msgr. McCoy and Father Pelzel – served as vicars general for Bishop Nickless and now serve for Bishop Keehner. 
“Their role is linked directly to the bishop as they are vicars to the bishop. That means the bishop acts vicariously through them. So, if there is no bishop, then there is no need for vicars general,” Father Esquiliano explained, noting their new titles were advisors to the apostolic administrator during the interim period.
 
Similarly, the diocesan presbyteral council was also dissolved when Bishop Keehner was named bishop 

Msgr. Kevin McCoy takes his oath as vicar general with Bishop Keehner

of Sioux City by the Holy Father in February.
 
“It is a group of priests that advise the bishop and the bishop consults with them. So, when there’s no bishop, there is no need to consult,” the priest said.
 
The priest stressed that the diocese was not without leadership from Feb. 12 until May 1 when Bishop Keehner took possession of the diocese. The apostolic administrator was in charge with an advisory board serving him, the college of consultors.
 
“It is six priests that are directly appointed by the bishop. That’s the only board or collegial group that continued (in the interim),” he said.
 
The position of chancellor remained as that person is a notary, which is needed for official acts with and without a bishop. Deacon Mark Prosser, bishop’s chief of staff, currently serves as chancellor. It was similar in the case of the judicial vicar in the interest of continuity  and expediency of justice, Father Esquiliano retained his position. Priests who serve as representatives for geographical areas of the diocese – deaneries – are appointed as deans, also known as vicars forane. 

Those positions also remained intact “because their role is to coordinate activity in the deanery,” Father Esquiliano said. He noted the average parishioner would not be familiar with the dean of their particular region of the diocese.
 
“They don’t have any role with the parishioners in the parish. It is usually the dean who installs the pastors,” the priest explained. “He also comes and checks the books, the sacramental records of the parish.”
 
Reappointments
In the interest of continuity in diocesan governance, a new bishop historically reappoints the priests in leadership roles, the judicial vicar said, which is what Bishop Keehner did once he began his role as bishop of the diocese.
 
“When the new bishop came, he needed vicars general. It is tradition to reappoint the ones in place just before he arrived,” Father Esquiliano said. “When the bishop gets to know the priests and the diocese in the coming months or years, he may decide he wants different vicars general and that may change.”
 
Bishop Keehner also reappointed the same members on the presbyteral council that Bishop Nickless had selected.
 Father Esquiliano“Some of the members are ex-officio so there was no doubt that they would be reappointed, and that’s the vicars general and the judicial vicar. Some are appointments which are the deans as they are representatives and also a couple other priests because of the different functions that they have,” Father Esquiliano said.

There are some priests that are elected to their positions as representatives on the presbyteral council, which Bishop Keehner did not reappoint but rather “confirmed the election.”
 
“Something most people wouldn’t know is that all the elected members and some of the appointed members had just been appointed or elected when the news of the resignation (of Bishop Nickless) came,” the judicial vicar said, adding that the members were appointed in January 2025. “So, weeks later, that body (presbyteral council) disappeared.”
 
Find the official appointments by Bishop Keehner here.