WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has named Bishop Thomas A. Daly, 54, as bishop of Spokane, Washington, and Conventual Franciscan Father John Stowe, 48, as bishop of Lexington, Kentucky. Bishop Daly has served as auxiliary bishop of San Jose, California, since 2011. Bishop-elect Stowe is vicar provincial of the Conventual Franciscan Province of Our Lady of Consolation, Mount St. Francis, Indiana, and rector of the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio.

The appointments were publicized in Washington, March 12, by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Thomas A. Daly was born April 30, 1960, in San Francisco. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco in 1982; a master of divinity from St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California, in 1987; and a master of education degree from Boston College in 1996. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1987. After ordination, he served as parochial vicar of Our Lady of Loretto Parish, 1987-1992; teacher and campus minister, Marin High School, 1992-2003; part-time chaplain, San Francisco Police Department, 1995-2003; and parochial vicar, St. Cecilia’s Church, 1995-1999.

He became vocations director for the archdiocese in 2002 and president of Marin Catholic High School in 2003, serving in both capacities until Pope Benedict XVI named him auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of San Jose on March 16, 2011. He was ordained a bishop May 25 of that year. In Spokane, he succeeds Archbishop Blase J. Cupich, who was appointed archbishop of Chicago, September 20, 2014.

The Diocese of Spokane comprises 24,356 square miles in eastern Washington state and has a total population of 830,641 people, of whom 107,983, or 13 percent, are Catholic.

John Stowe was born April 15, 1966, in Amherst, Ohio. He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Louis University in 1990; a master of divinity from Jesuit School of Theology…

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops