Kevin Vann

Most Rev. Kevin William Vann
Bishop
Church	Roman Catholic
See	Orange
In office	21 September 2012—present (12 years, 46 days)
Predecessor	Tod David Brown
Successor	incumbent
Previous post(s)	Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas
Orders
Ordination	1981
Personal details
Born	(1951-05-10) 10 May 1951 Springfield, Illinois

Styles of Kevin William Vann
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Monsignor

Kevin William Vann (born May 10, 1951) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. On Friday, September 21, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI announced the transfer of Bishop Vann (who had, until then, been serving as the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, in Fort Worth, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex) to serve instead as the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, in Orange, California, because of the retirement of Bishop Emeritus Tod David Brown, 76 (under Canon 401.1 of the Latin-rite Code of Canon Law, which states that Bishops must offer a letter of resignation to the Pope for possible acceptance when they turn 75). Because Bishop Vann is already an ordained Bishop, he automatically succeeded to the see, even though there will be a formal installation at a later date in the near future.

Early life and education

The eldest of six children, Kevin Vann was born in Springfield, Illinois, to William and Theresa (née Jones) Vann. His father was a postal worker, and his mother was a nurse and clinical instructor at St. John's Hospital.

After attending Griffin High School, he studied at Springfield College and Millikin University, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology in 1974. He then worked as a medical technologist at St. John's Hospital before entering Immaculate Conception Seminary in 1976. From 1977 to 1981, he studied at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.

Priesthood

Vann was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Joseph McNicholas on May 30, 1981. He then furthered his studies in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, residing at the Pontifical North American College. It was at the Angelicum that in May 1985 he earned his (J.C.D., Doctor of Canon Law).

Upon his return to the United States in 1985, Vann served as parochial vicar at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield until 1990. He served as judge, defender of the bond, and procurator on the Diocesan Tribunal from 1985 to 1994, also serving on the Metropolitan Court of Appeals for the Province of Chicago. Between 1989 1990, he was also parochial administrator of St. Mary Parish in Pittsfield, Holy Redeemer Parish in Barry, and Holy Family Parish in Griggsville.

Vann was pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Auburn (1990–1992) and later of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Decatur (1992–2001). While serving at Our Lady of Lourdes, he was concurrently a judicial vicar for the Interdiocesan Tribunal of Second Instance for the Province of Chicago (1994–2005) and parochial administrator of St. Isidore Parish in Bethany, Sacred Heart Parish in Dalton City (1995–1997), and Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Parish in Mount Zion (1995). He was also dean of the Decatur Deanery from 1996 to 2001, and became the Bishop's contact for the Hispanic Ministry in 1999. He also taught canon law at his alma mater of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis.

Vann became pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in 2001. In addition to his pastoral duties, he was also named Vicar for Clergy in the diocesan chancery. He was raised to the rank of Honorary Chaplain to His Holiness on February 19, 2002. During his tenure at Blessed Sacrament, he oversaw a $2.2 million capital campaign for refurbishing the church, as part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of its completion in 1930.

In April 2004, Vann said that he would be "reticent" in giving Communion to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), a former parishioner at Blessed Sacrament whose "pro-choice position puts him really outside of communion or unity with the Church's teachings on life."

Episcopal career

On May 17, 2005, Vann was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Fort Worth, Texas, by Pope Benedict XVI. He later succeeded the late Joseph Patrick Delaney as the third Bishop of Fort Worth upon the latter's death on July 12, 2005. He received his episcopal consecration the next day, on July 13, from Archbishop José Gómez, with Archbishop Raymond Burke and Archbishop George Lucas serving as co-consecrators, at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. He selected as his episcopal motto: In Fide Et Dileccione In Christo Iesu, In the faith and love in Christ Jesus.

During the 2008 presidential election, Vann and Bishop Kevin Farrell issued a joint statement, in which they declared, "We cannot make more clear the seriousness of the overriding issue of abortion—while not the only issue—it is the defining moral issue, not only today, but of the last 35 years...As Catholics we are morally obligated to pray, to act, and to vote to abolish the evil of abortion in America."

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Vann is a member of Committee on Marriage, on Family Life, on Laity and Youth, and the Subcommittee on Marriage and Family Life.

He was named Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, succeeding the retiring Bishop, Tod David Brown, by Pope Benedict on Friday, September 21, 2012.