Resignation and appointment of bishop of Baker, U.S.A.

Erection of the diocese of Kapsabet, Kenya and appointment of the first bishop

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Wrocław-Koszalin of Byzantine-Ukrainian rite, Poland

Resignation and appointment of bishop of Baker, U.S.A.

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Baker, United States of America, presented by Bishop Liam Stephen Cary.

The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Thomas Hennen, of the clergy of the diocese of Davenport, Iowa, until now vicar general and rector of the Cathedral of the same diocese, as bishop of Baker, United States of America.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Thomas J. Hennen was born on 4 July 1978 in Ottumwa, Iowa, in the diocese of Davenport. He attended Saint Ambrose University in Davenport, obtaining a bachelor’s degree. He carried out his ecclesiastical studies at the Pontifical American College of the North, obtaining a licentiate in moral theology at the Higher Institute of Moral Theology “Alphonsian Academy” of Rome.

He was ordained a priest on 10 July 2004 for the diocese Davenport.

He has held the following offices: parish vicar of the Prince of Peace in Clinton (2005-2010), university chaplain at the University of Iowa (2010-2011), vocational director (2011-2018), chaplain and teacher at the Assumption High School in Davenport (2014-2017), chaplain at Saint Ambrose University (2017-2021), vicar general (since 2020), and rector of the Cathedral (since 2021) of the diocese of Davenport.

Erection of the diocese of Kapsabet, Kenya and appointment of the first bishop

The Holy Father has created the new diocese of Kapsabet, Kenya, with territory taken from the diocese of Eldoret, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan archdiocese of Kisumu, Kenya.

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop John Kiplimo Lelei, until now auxiliary bishop of Eldoret, as first bishop of the diocese of Kapsabet, Kenya, at the same time liberating him from the titular see of Mons in Numidia.

Curriculum vitae

Bishop John Kiplimo Lelei was born on 15 August 1958 in Soy, in the diocese of Eldoret. He studied philosophy at Saint Augustine’s Senior Seminary in Mabanga, and theology at Saint Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi.

He was ordained a priest on 26 October 1985 for the diocese of Eldoret.

He was awarded a doctorate in theology, specializing in liturgy, from the Universität Wien.

He has held the following offices: parish vicar in Suwerwa and Chepterit (1985-1987), parish priest in Yamumbi, Suwerwa, Chepterit and Tachasis, and vicar forane of the deaneries of Kitale and Nandi (1987-1996), parish collaborator at St. Brigitta and Zum Gottlichen Erloser, in the archdiocese of Vienna (1996-2002), parish priest of St. Patrick in Kapcherop (2002-2003) and St. Boniface in Tindinyo (2003-2007), lecturer in the following institutes: AMECEA Pastoral Institute in Gaba (2003-2004); Institute of Development Studies in Kobujoi (2004-2009) and at the St. Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary-Tindinyo (2003-2008), parish priest of St. Peter’s in Kapsabet (2007-2008), lecturer and formator of St. Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary in Tindinyo (2008-2017), rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in Nairobi (2017-2023) and vicar general of Eldoret.

On 27 March 2024 he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Eldoret, receiving the titular see of Mons in Numidia; he was ordained a bishop the following 25 May.

Statistical data

The new diocese of Kapsabet [Kapsabeten(sis)] coincides with the civil district of Nandi (locally called Nandi County). It is a suffragan of the metropolitan archdiocese of Kisumu. The see of the diocese is the city of Kapsabet. The cathedral church of the new ecclesiastical circumscription is the current parish church of St. Peter, located in the same town.

Appointment of auxiliary bishop of Wrocław-Koszalin of Byzantine-Ukrainian rite, Poland

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Mariusz Dmyterko, currently parish priest of Biały-Bor and custodian of the eparchal Shrine of the same city, as auxiliary bishop of Wrocław-Koszalin of Byzantine-Ukrainian rite, Poland. assigning him the titular see of Tzernicus.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Mariusz Dmyterko was born on 29 December 1979 in Bytow, Poland. After his high school studies in Biały-Bor, he attended the inter-ecclesial seminary of Lublin.

He was ordained a priest on 20 August 2005. Incardinated in the then-eparchy of Wrocław-Gdańsk, following the ecclesial reorganization of the circumscriptions (2020), he became a priest of the eparchy of Wrocław-Koszalin.

After ordination, he first held the role of parish vicar of the parish of Legnica, and catechist at the city’s Ukrainian High School (2005-2010). He was awarded a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the University of Opole (2008) and a doctorate in dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome. He has served as a member of the Presbyteral Council (2014-2015 and 2019) and of the College of Consultors (2020) of the eparchy of Wrocław-Gdańsk, chancellor of the eparchy of Wrocław-Koszalin (2021), parish priest of Biały-Bor (since 2016) and of the Bielica and Międzyboż parish branches, and custodian of the eparchal Shrine of the same city.