Joseph Mark Siegel (born July 18, 1963) is an American

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, serving as the bishop of the

Diocese of Evansville The Diocese of Evansville ( la, Dioecesis Evansvicensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Southwestern Indiana. On October 21, 1944, the then- Diocese of Indianapolis was split into the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Diocese of Evan ...

in Indiana since 2017. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois from 2009 to 2017

Early life and education

The youngest of nine children, Joseph Siegel was born on July 18, 1963, in

Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( ) is a city in Will County, Illinois, Will and Kendall County, Illinois, Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the cit ...

, to Francis and Marie Siegel. He was raised on a farm in Lockport Township. He was baptized at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet and attended the parish grammar school. Siegel in 1977 entered St. Charles Borromeo High School Seminary in Romeoville, Illinois, graduating in 1980. He then attended Joliet Junior College in Joliet, then continued his studies at St. Meinrad Seminary College in Meinrad, Indiana. Siegel graduated ''

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

'' with a Bachelor of History degree from St. Meinrad in 1984. Siegel completed his seminary formation at the

Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Pri ...

in Rome between 1984 and 1988. He earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree ''cum laude'' from 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 ...

in 1987, and continued his theological studies at the

Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy O ...

, both in Rome. Siegel was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

to the diaconate by Cardinal William W. Baum on April 14, 1988, at St. Peter's Basilica.

Ordination and ministry

Following his return to Illinois, Siegel was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Joliet by Bishop Joseph L. Imesch on June 4, 1988. After his ordination, Siegel completed his studies in systematic theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois, earning a

Licentiate of Sacred Theology Licentiate in Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Licentiatus; abbreviated STL) is the second of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the first being the Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology and the third being the Doctorate in Sacred Theol ...

in 1990. Siegel's first pastoral assignment was as a

parochial vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

at St. Isidore Parish in

Bloomingdale, Illinois Bloomingdale is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, settled in 1833, and 25 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. The population was 22,382 at the 2020 census. History Bloomingdale is one of the earliest villages settled in what ...

, remaining there until 1994. He then served at St. Mary Immaculate Parish in Plainfield, Illinois, (1994-1998); St. Mary Nativity Parish in Joliet (1998-2000); and the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus Parish, where he also served as diocesan master of ceremonies. He became

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

of Visitation Parish in

Elmhurst, Illinois Elmhurst is a city mostly in DuPage County and overlapping into Cook County in the U.S. state of Illinois, and a western suburb of Chicago. As of 2021, the city has an estimated population of 47,260. History Members of the Potawatomi Native A ...

, in 2004. Siegel was a member of the Presbyteral Council for nine years, including three years as chairman, and was appointed to the Diocesan

College of Consultors A consultor is one who gives counsel, i.e., a counselor. In the Catholic Church, it is a specific title for various advisory positions: *in the Roman Curia, a consultor is a specially appointed expert who may be called upon for advice desired by ...

. He also served as director of continuing formation for priests, a member of the Diocesan Vocation Board, a member of the Priest Personnel Board, and dean of Eastern Will County. Within the Catholic Conference of Illinois, Siegel served on the Executive Committee as a priest representative and was chair of the Catholics for Life Department. He chaired the Steering Committee for the Joliet Diocesan Year of the Eucharist and Eucharistic Congress, and is a member of the Bishops Respect Life Advisory Board. Siegel is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and a member of the

Knights of the Holy Sepulchre The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...

. He was the state chaplain for the Knights of Columbus' Illinois State Council.

Auxiliary Bishop of Joliet

On October 28, 2009, Siegel was appointed as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Joliet and titular bishop of

Pupiana Pupiana was an ancient city and former bishopric in present-day Tunisia. It is currently a Latin Catholic titular see. History Pupiana was located near the modern Mra-Mita, Ain-Ouassel. It was important enough in the Roman province of Africa pro ...

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

. He received his

episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on January 19, 2010, from Bishop J. Peter Sartain, with Bishops Joseph L. Imesch and Frank J. Dewane serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

, at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus. He selected as his episcopal

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

: ''In Te Domine Speravi''. Siegel remained pastor of Visitation Parish for another eight months, then until June 2010, when was named

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

for the diocese. He also served as diocesan administrator for several months after Sartain was moved to the

Archdiocese of Seattle ''Formerly known as Diocese of Nesqually, 1850-1907.'' The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the U.S. state of ...

Bishop of Evansville

On October 18, 2017,

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 Siegel as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Evansville. He was installed on Dec. 15, 2017, at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville. Evans released on February 22, 2019, a list of ten clerics in the diocese who faced credible accusations of

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...

against minors.

References

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville Official Site

Episcopal succession

{{DEFAULTSORT:Siegel, Joseph M. 1963 births Living people People from Joliet, Illinois 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology alumni Pontifical Gregorian University alumni University of Saint Mary of the Lake alumni People from Bloomingdale, Illinois Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois Religious leaders from Illinois Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Roman Catholic bishops of Evansville Catholics from Illinois