Joel Matthias Konzen (born November 6, 1950) is an

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prelate of the

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who has been serving as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta since 2018.

Biography

Early life

Joel Konzen was born November 6, 1950 in

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

, and grew up in

Oak Harbor, Ohio Oak Harbor is a village in Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. Oak Harbor is 30 miles east of Downtown Toledo. The population was 2,759 at the 2010 census. It lies a short distance southwest of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, one of two ...

. He took his first vows as a Marist in 1975. He took perpetual vows in the Society of Mary, and was ordained a deacon in 1978. Konzen has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from St. Meinrad Seminary in St. Meinrad, Indiana, and a Master of Divinity degree from

Notre Dame Seminary Notre Dame Seminary is a Catholic seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana. It operates under the auspices of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. It serves the other six Catholic dioceses of the Ecclesiastical Province of New Orleans, six additional dioces ...

in New Orleans. He also holds a Master of Theology degree in

systematic theology Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topic ...

and a Master of Arts degree in educational administration from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Priesthood

On May 19, 1979, Konzen was ordained to the priesthood for the Society of Mary by Bishop Stanley Ott . Konzen took his first position at Marist School in Atlanta in 1980, where he remained for nine years in roles as teacher, admissions director, principal and president. While a graduate student at Catholic University, he served as vicar provincial of the former Washington Province of the Society of Mary. From 1992 to 1997, Konzen was principal and president at St. Michael’s Catholic Academy in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

. In 1997, he returned to Washington, D.C., where he was vicar provincial again for two years. Konzen returned to Marist School in Atlanta in 1999, where he has since served as principal and had recently been named president. He assisted in the founding of two new Catholic schools in Atlanta: Notre Dame Academy and Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School. Konzen currently serves on the boards of Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy in Pontiac, Michigan; Notre Dame Academy in Duluth. Minnesota; Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School; and the Georgia Independent School Association. In 2015, he received the Educational Excellence Award of the

National Catholic Educational Association The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) is a private, professional educational membership association of over 150,000 educators in Catholic schools, universities, and religious education programs. It is the largest such organization ...

(NCEA). In addition to his time at Marist School in Atlanta, Konzen taught at

St. Peter Chanel High School Saint Peter Chanel High School was a Catholic high school located in Bedford, Ohio, United States, from 1957 to 2013. The school was closed by the Cleveland Catholic Diocese following a drastic, decreasing trend in enrollment. Building St. Peter ...

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(1976–1977), served as a deacon at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in New Orleans (1978–1979) and as a priest at St. Edmond Parish in Lafayette, Louisiana. (1979–1980). He served as principal/president at St. Michael’s Academy in Austin,Texas, from 1992–1997.

Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

appointed Konzen as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Atlanta on February 5, 2018. On April 3, 2018, Konzen was consecrated by then Archbishop

Wilton Gregory Wilton Daniel Gregory (born December 7, 1947) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who is the Archdiocese of Washington, archbishop of Washington, US. Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal on No ...

at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta On May 24, 2019, after the installation of Gregory as the Archbishop of Washington, the

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elected Konzen as the administrator of the archdiocese. Konzen's administrator responsibilities ended on May 6, 2020 with the installation of then Bishop Gregory Hartmayer as the new Archbishop of Atlanta.

Coat of Arms

For Konzen the shield is silver (white) with a blue pile (an "A" shaped device) upon which is displayed the conjoined "A" and "M," known an "the monogram of Mary," in silver (white) that is the emblem of the Society of Mary. The pile resembles an inlet of water, such as a bay or harbor, and this pile is charged with a gold (yellow) oak leaf to signify Oak Harbor, Ohio, Konzen's home town. Above the pile are an open book (gold ellowwith red edges) and a red cross o signify that Konzen has spent most of his life in education, in a Catholic environment, including his last position, before becoming a bishop, as president of the Marist School. For his episcopal motto, Konzen adopted the Latin phrase "''Miserere gaudens''," taken from Romans:12. This passage can be paraphrased as "Be merciful, and with a cheerful heart."

References

External links

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta Official Site

Episcopal succession

{{DEFAULTSORT:Konzen, Joel Matthiias 1950 births Living people People from Oak Harbor, Ohio 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States People from Toledo, Ohio Catholics from Ohio Bishops appointed by Pope Francis