John M. LeVoir

infobox bishopstyles
name=John LeVoir
dipstyle=The Most Reverend
offstyle=Your Excellency
relstyle=Bishop
deathstyle=not applicable |

John Marvin LeVoir (born February 7, 1946) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as the fourth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of New Ulm, in New Ulm, Minnesota.

Biography

John LeVoir was born to Marvin and Mary (b. 1915) LeVoir in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has two brothers, Frederick and Paul, and a sister, Mary Ellen. He studied at the University of St. Thomas, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1968, and the University of Minnesota, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business degree in accounting in 1971.

From 1971 to 1976, he worked as a Certified Public Accountant for various firms and also taught accounting at his "alma mater" of the Univeristy of Minnesota, from where he also received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1974. In his late twenties, LeVoir decided to pursue an ecclesiastical career [Star Tribune. [http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/25385944.html?location_refer=Sports LeVoir named to head New Ulm diocese] July 14, 2008] . He then entered the archdiocesan seminary, earning a Master's degree in theology in 1981.

He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop John Roach on May 30, 1981, and served as associate pastor of St. Charles Borromeo parish in St. Anthony until 1992. LeVoir was made pastor of [http://www.holytrinitys.org/about/church.html Holy Trinity parish] in South St. Paul in 1992, and later assumed the additional role of pastor of St. Augustine parish from 2000. He became pastor of both [http://www.stillwatercatholics.org/ St. Michael Church] and [http://www.stmarysstillwater.org/ St. Mary Church] in Stillwater in 2004. He co-authored "Covenant of Love: John Paul II on Sexuality, Marriage, and Family in the Modern World" and "Faith for Today" as well.

On July 14, 2008, LeVoir was appointed the fourth bishop of the Bishop of New Ulm by Pope Benedict XVI. His appointment to the New Ulm diocese ended a fifteen month-long vacancy created by the naming of Bishop John Nienstedt as Coadjutor Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis in April 2007; it was a long vacancy, but by no means the longest in the history of American Catholicism. The Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa, was vacant from January 16, 2004 till November 10, 2005.

He was consecrated a bishop on September 15, 2008, and was installed on the same day. [http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/local_story_259233105.html]

References

External links

* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/blevoir.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.dnu.org/news/071408news.pdf Diocese of New Ulm's Press Release - PDF file]