Johnston was born on October 16, 1959, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to James Johnston and Pat (née Huber) Vann Johnston. He has two sisters, Beth and Amy, and one brother, Steve. James Johnston Jr. was a member of the Boy Scouts of America, attaining the rank of
eagle scout
Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...
. He attended St. Joseph Elementary School and Knoxville Catholic High School in Knoxville.
After graduating from high school in 1977, Johnston entered the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in
electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
in 1982. Johnston worked for three years after college for an engineering consulting firm in Houston, Texas.
Johnston has stated that the faith and generosity of his mother and the teachings of Pope John Paul II inspired him to enter the priesthood. He enrolled in Saint Meinrad School of Theology in Saint Meinrad, Indiana in 1985, where he earned a
Master of Divinity
For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...
degree in 1990.
Priesthood
Johnston was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Knoxville by Bishop Anthony O'Connell on June 9, 1990 at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville.
In 1994, Johnston traveled to Washington D.C. to attend the
Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
(CUA). He graduated from the
School of Canon Law
The School of Canon Law is the only faculty of Catholic canon law in the United States. It is one of the twelve schools at The Catholic University of America, located in Washington, D.C.Licentiate of Canon Law. He then served as an
associate 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 ...
at St. Mary's Parish in
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of downtown Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 31,402 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. Oak ...
and at St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga,Tennessee, where he also taught at Notre Dame High School. Johnston then returned to Knoxville as associate pastor of Holy Ghost Parish.
Johnston was named
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
and moderator of the diocesan curia in 1996, and later pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa, Tennessee, in addition to his curial duties, on May 14, 2007.
In 2002, Johnston and two other priests saved a man and his two children from falling over a waterfall in Glacier National Park in Montana. US Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton awarded them the Citizen's Award for Bravery on February 2, 2005. Upon receiving the award, Johnston remarked, "We were all very surprised, partly because it happened two and a half years ago. We didn't think too many people were even aware of it."
Johnston supports the celebration of Tridentine Mass, but has said he does not "hold a great personal attachment to it" due to his relatively young age. He also supports the use of Gregorian chant and polyphony during mass. He has cited Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, and Alan Jackson as some of his favorite musical artists.
Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
On January 24, 2008, Johnston was appointed the sixth bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau by Pope Benedict XVI. He later stated at a press conference, "I am eager to learn about the Church in Southern Missouri, and to become part of God's family here." Johnston also announced that, as bishop, he would:
"Seek out those who have fallen away from the practice of their Catholic faith, reach out to the unchurched, and seek to meet brothers and sisters of other faith communities and churches on areas of common belief and shared concerns."
Joseph Kurtz
Joseph Edward Kurtz (born August 18, 1946) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville in Kentucky from 2007 to 2022. He previously served as the bishop of the Diocese of Kn ...
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, ...
.
Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph
On September 15, 2015, Pope Francis named Johnston as bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph. He was installed on November 4, 2015, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City.
On June 27, 2016, in a special church service, Johnston apologized to victims of sexual abuse in the diocese for the abuse itself and the cover-up by the church. His predecessor, Bishop Robert Finn, had pleaded guilty in 2012 to a charge of failing to report an individual abusing a child.
On March 23, 2021, Johnston announced the laicization in December 2020 of Reverend Michael Tierney, who had multiple credible accusations of sexual abuse of children.
Viewpoints
Abortion
In May 2009, noting that US President Barack Obama "has taken steps on multiple fronts to undermine the protection of innocent human life", Johnston said the decision of the University of Notre Dame to have Obama deliver the commencement speech at its graduation ceremony and receive an honorary degree was "saddening and bewildering." Johnston also said,
"While we must pray for our president, respect his office, and acknowledge and support the good things he does to lead our nation, it is also our duty to make known our opposition to those actions and decisions that stand in direct opposition to the moral law and the foundational principals of America."
On September 14, 2020, just before the
2020 US presidential election
The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and the junior U.S. senator from California Kamala H ...
, Johnston sent a controversial letter to parishioners in the diocese. In the letter, Johnston asked voters to examine which party supported so-called moral issues such as abortion rights. When asked if he was endorsing
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
* Republican Part ...
candidates, Johnston said that he was only asking voters to vote their conscience.
Same sex marriage
In May 2009, Johnston criticized what he believed was unfair treatment of Miss California
Carrie Prejean
Caroline Michelle "Carrie" Prejean Boller (; born 1987) is an American model, former Miss California USA 2009, and Miss USA 2009 first runner-up. Prejean was stripped of her Miss California USA crown for alleged breaches of contract. Litigation ...
, who placed second at Miss USA 2009 competition. When asked if she supported same-sex marriage, Prejean said no. Johnston remarked:
"...shows just how much American culture, in such a short time, has drifted away from the moorings that have given the nation strength and stability... ndshows the fierce intolerance of many of those who advocate redefining marriage to include same-sex unions."