Robert F. Vasa

Robert Francis Vasa (born May 7, 1951) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. On Monday, January 24, 2011, Bishop Vasa, 59, was named the Coadjutor Bishop (an Auxiliary Bishop with the right of succession), to Bishop Daniel F. Walsh of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California, by Pope Benedict XVI. Until then, he had been the fifth Bishop of Baker, in Oregon.

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Robert Francis Vasa
Bishop of Santa Rosa
ArchdioceseSan Francisco
DioceseSanta Rosa
AppointedJanuary 24, 2011
InstalledJune 30, 2011
PredecessorDaniel F. Walsh
Orders
OrdinationMay 22, 1976
by Glennon Patrick Flavin
ConsecrationJanuary 26, 2000
by John George Vlazny, Thomas Joseph Connolly, and Fabian Bruskewitz
Personal details
Born (1951-05-07) May 7, 1951
Lincoln, Nebraska
Previous postBishop of Baker
MottoUNLESS A GRAIN OF WHEAT
Styles of
Robert Francis Vasa
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

On 30 June 2011, Bishop Daniel F. Walsh's resignation was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI, and so Bishop Vasa officially succeeded him as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California immediately afterwards.

Early life

Robert F. Vasa was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Joe and Leona Vasa.[1] From 1972 to 1976, he studied at Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas, Texas, from where he obtained a Master of Divinity degree.[1]

Early service

He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Glennon Patrick Flavin on May 22, 1976.[2] He then served as a curate at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ and a teacher at Pius X High School in Lincoln until 1977, when he became an advocate on the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal.[1] In 1979, he was sent to further his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning a Licentiate of Canon Law in 1981.[1]

Later service

Following his return to Nebraska, Vasa was named assistant chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln and afterwards Father Prior of Columbian Squires.[1] He became judicial vicar of the Diocesan Tribunal and pastor of St. James Church at Cortland in 1985.[1] He directed the Remodeling and Fund Drive for St. Stephen Church in Exter. In addition to his duties as judicial vicar, he was appointed pastor of St. Peter Church at Lincoln in 1990. He was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness in 1995.[1] In 1996 he was named vicar general of the diocese and Moderator of the Curia.[1] He became chairman of the Diocesan Building Commission in 1996 and served as pastor of St. Michael Church in Cheney from 1997 to 1999.[1]

Bishop of Baker

On November 19, 1999, Vasa was named the fifth Bishop of Baker, Oregon, by Pope John Paul II.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on January 26, 2000 from Archbishop John George Vlazny, with Bishops Thomas Joseph Connolly and Fabian Bruskewitz serving as co-consecrators.[2] In 2006, he implied that people who support abortion are guilty of heresy.[3]

In February 2010, according to a December 21, 2010 Catholic News Service online article about the status of another formerly Catholic hospital, Bishop Vasa had stated that St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Oregon, located within the Baker Diocese, had "gradually moved away" from the church's ethical directives and can no longer be called Catholic. As a result of that decision, Mass is no longer celebrated in the hospital's chapel and all items considered Catholic were removed from the hospital and returned to the church. The hospital retained the St. Charles name and a cross remains atop the building."

Bishop of Santa Rosa

On January 24, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Vasa as Coadjutor Bishop for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California. He was installed on March 6, 2011. On June 30, 2011, he succeeded Daniel F. Walsh as bishop of Santa Rosa.

Bishop Vasa has also engaged as the Episcopal Advisor to several Catholic organizations including the Catholic Medical Association, which he served as Advisor of until 2014,[4] and the online religious education provider, CatechismClass,[5] to which Bishop Vasa currently serves as their Episcopal Advisor.

See also

References
  1. "Curriculum Vitae". Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker. Archived from the original on 2009-05-07.
  2. "Bishop Robert Francis Vasa". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  3. Palmo, Rocco (2006-02-18). "The "Open Question" of Heresy". Whispers in the Loggia.
  4. Catholic Medical Association Board
  5. CatechismClass.com - About Us

Episcopal succession
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Daniel F. Walsh		 Bishop of Santa Rosa
2011–current		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Thomas Joseph Connolly		 Bishop of Baker
1999–2011		 Succeeded by
Liam Stephen Cary
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