George Joseph Lucas

infobox bishopstyles
name=George Lucas
dipstyle=The Most Reverend
offstyle=Your Excellency
relstyle=Monsignor
deathstyle=not applicable |

George Joseph Lucas (born June 12, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eighth and current Bishop of Springfield in Illinois.

Biography

George Lucas was born in St. Louis, Missouri, as the eldest of the four children of George and Mary (née Kelly) Lucas; he has one sister, Catherine, and two brothers, James and John. He attended St. Louis Preparatory Seminary South from 1963 to 1967, and then Cardinal Glennon College until 1971, whence he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy. Lucas studied theology at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary from 1971 to 1975, and was ordained to the priesthood by John Cardinal Carberry on May 24, 1975.

He then served as associate pastor of [http://www.stjustinmartyr.org/church_home_main.htm St. Justin Martyr Church] in Sunset Hills until 1980, and of St. Dismas Church in Florissant until 1981. Whilst part-time associate pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in St. Louis (1981-1984) and of Ascension Church in Normandy (1984-1986), Lucas furthered his studies at St. Louis University from 1982 to 1986, there earning his Master's degree in History. He was a professor (1981-1987) and vice-principal (1982-1987) at St. Louis Preparatory Seminary North as well.

Lucas was also part-time associate pastor at [http://www.psichurch.com/churches/043stann/ St. Ann Church] in Normandy (1986-1989) and [http://www.stpeterkirkwood.org/ St. Peter Church] in Kirkwood (1989-1990). In 1987, he began teaching at the newly-merged St. Louis Preparatory Seminary, becoming its Dean of Students that same year.

From 1990 to 1994, he served as Chancellor of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and private secretary to Archbishop John May. Lucas was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness on September 5, 1994, and was vicar general of St. Louis for a year before becoming rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in 1995. He was a member of the Priests' Personnel Board of St. Louis from 1987 to 1990, being named its Secretary in 1988. He also sat on the editorial board of the archdiocesan newspaper [http://www.stlreview.com/ The St. Louis Review] (1988-1999), the Board of Directors (1990-1995) and Board of Trustees (1990-1999) of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, and the Council of Priests of St. Louis (1994-1999).

On October 19, 1999, Lucas was appointed the eighth Bishop of Springfield in Illinois by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following December 14 from Francis Cardinal George, OMI, with Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo Higuera and Bishop Daniel Ryan serving as co-consecrators.

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Lucas sits on the [http://www.usccb.org/catechism/adhoc1st.htm Subcommittee on the Catechism] and [http://www.usccb.org/education/committeesap.shtml "Sapientia Christiana" Committee] .

External links

* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bfoery.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.syrdio.org/bishop.asp?path=Bishop&action=viewBishop&BishopID=13 Diocese of Syracuse]