Former UD Rome Chaplain Ordained Bishop

PHOTO: Brian Brainerd/Denver Post

Last weekend, longtime Rome Campus chaplain, James D. Conley, was ordained bishop and appointed Auxiliary of Denver.

After being ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas in 1985, Bishop Conley served as associate pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Wichita and then as diocesan director of the Respect Life Office.

In 1991, after earning his licentiate in Rome, he was appointed pastor of St. Paul parish (Newman Center) on the campus of Wichita State University, while continuing his service as director of the Respect Life Office.

Bishop Conley was called back to Rome in 1996 to serve the Holy See as an official in the Vatican Congregation for Bishops. While in Rome, he served as chaplain to the University of Dallas Rome Campus from 1997 to 2003.

On Feb. 9, 2001, Pope John Paul II named him "chaplain to his holiness" with the title monsignor.

After 10 years of service at the Holy See, Bishop Conley was called back to Wichita Diocese and named pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish, effective August 1, 2006, until the his ordination as Bishop on 1 June 2008.

In the course of his 6 years as UD Chaplain, Bishop Conley enthusiastically oversaw the spiritual development of some 1200 students on the Rome Campus, thus it was no surprise that scores of UD alumni from around the nation flocked to Denver for the three-celebration of his ordination. The enthusiastic participation of the UD community was duly noted in an article published in the Rocky Mountain News, which commented on the students' love for their former Rome chaplain. Click here to read the story.

It was a proud moment for the University of Dallas and we on the Rome Campus send Bishop Conley our warmest congratulations!

To learn more about Bishop Conley and his ordination, visit his website.

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PHOTO: Javier Manzano/Rocky Mountain News