Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville and Appoints the Archbishop of Louisville as Apostolic Administrator
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Richard F. Stika from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Knoxville.
WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Richard F. Stika from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Knoxville. At the same time, the Holy See has appointed the Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Knoxville to serve until the appointment and installation of the new bishop.
The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on June 27, 2023, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
The Diocese of Knoxville is comprised of 14,242 square miles in the State of Tennessee and has a total population of 2,509,421 of which 68,075, are Catholic.
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