Joseph C. Taphorn, JCL, (born July 6, 1971) is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha, rector of the

Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity The Saint Paul Seminary (SPS) is a Roman Catholic major seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. A part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, SPS prepares men to enter the priesthood and permanent diaconate, and educates lay men and women on ...

, and vice-president of the

University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

Early life and education

Taphorn was born in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, on July 6, 1971, to Catholic parents, Jim and Joan Taphorn. He attended

Creighton Preparatory School Creighton Preparatory School (simply referred to as Creighton Prep or Prep) is a private, Jesuit high school for boys in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It was established in 1878 under the name Creighton College and is located in the Roman Cat ...

in Omaha for high school and while he applied to and was accepted at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...

, he chose instead to attend

Benedictine College Benedictine College is a private Benedictine liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas, United States. It was established in 1971 by the merger of St. Benedict's College (founded 1858) for men and Mount St. Scholastica College (founded 1923) for ...

Atchison, Kansas Atchison is a city and county seat of Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator David Rice Atchison from Missouri ...

. There, he studied philosophy and Spanish While studying there, he met and became friends with

Andrew H. Cozzens Andrew Harmon Cozzens (born August 3, 1968) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Crookston in Minnesota since 2021. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese ...

, who would go on to become a priest and bishop. During his college years he was arrested several times for blocking access to a local abortion clinic. After graduation in 1992, he entered seminary at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, and was ordained a priest on June 7, 1997.

Priestly ministry

After ordination, Taphorn served as an associate pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in

Norfolk, Nebraska Norfolk ( or ) is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth ...

, for three years from 1997 to 2000. In 2000 he was sent to the

Pontifical Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

to study

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

, and he received his licentiate in canon law (JCL) in 2002. From 2002-2017, he served in a variety of roles in the diocesan chancery and tribunal, including vice-chancellor, chancellor, judicial vicar, and moderator for the curia. In 2016, he became the founding pastor of the Newman Center at the

University of Nebraska Omaha The University of Nebraska Omaha (Omaha or UNO) is a public research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1908 by faculty from the Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a private non-sectarian college, the university was originally kno ...

, where he remained until December 2018. In June 2018, it was announced that he would become the 15th rector of the

Saint Paul Seminary The Saint Paul Seminary (SPS) is a Roman Catholic major seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. A part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, SPS prepares men to enter the priesthood and permanent diaconate, and educates lay men and women o ...

in St. Paul, MN. His term at the Newman Center ended December 31, 2018, and he began at the Saint Paul Seminary on January 1, 2019. He was formally installed on February 11, 2019.

References

External links

Official website of the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taphorn, Joseph C. Taphorn, Joseph Living people 1971 births