James Peter Sartain
Encyclopedia
James Peter Sartain is an American
prelate
of the Catholic Church. He is the fifth and current Archbishop of Seattle
, serving since 2010. He previously served as Bishop of Little Rock
(2000–06) and Bishop of Joliet (2006–10).
, Tennessee
, to Joseph Martin ("Pete") and Catherine (née Poole) Sartain. He is the youngest of five children as well as the only boy. His father served in the U.S. Navy
in the Pacific Ocean during World War II
. Raised in the Whitehaven
neighborhood of Memphis, he received his early education at the parochial school
of St. Paul the Apostle Church, and graduated from Bishop Byrne High School
in 1970.
Sartain studied chemistry
at Memphis State University
for one year before transferring to St. Meinrad College
in Indiana
, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English in 1974. He then studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome
, where he earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology
degree in 1977.
to the priesthood
by Bishop Carroll Dozier
at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
in Memphis. Returning to his studies in Rome, he was in St. Peter's Square
when the newly-elected Pope John Paul II
emerged from the papal conclave
of October 1978. He earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
with specialization in sacramental
theology
from the Pontifical University of St. Anselmo
in 1979.
His first assignment, following his return to the Diocese of Memphis
, was as associate pastor
of Our Lady of Sorrows Church, where he remained for two years. He then served as director of vocations, chancellor
, moderator of the curia
, vicar for clergy, high school chaplain
, and and judge with the diocesan marriage tribunal. From 1992 to 2000, he served as pastor of St. Louis Church and vicar general
of the diocese. He served as diocesan administrator (1992-93) after Bishop Daniel M. Buechlein
was named to head the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
.
, Arkansas
, by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following March 6 from Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran
, with Bishops J. Terry Steib
and Andrew Joseph McDonald
serving as co-consecrators
. He was the first priest of the Diocese of Memphis to become a bishop. He selected as his episcopal motto
: "Of You My Heart Has Spoken" .
Due to the increasing Hispanic
population in Arkansas, Sartain took a course in Spanish
in San Antonio, Texas
, in 2001, and established Hispanic ministries throughout the state. He also ordained Arkansas's first Mexican
-born priest and deacon
. He worked to increase vocations; the diocese had ten seminarians and no ordinations in 2000, but fifteen seminarians and two ordinations in 2005. In 2005, he led more than 5,000 Catholics in a bilingual Eucharistic Congress. During his tenure, the Catholic population in Arkansas rose from 90,600 to over 107,000.
. He was installed as Archbishop on December 1, 2010 in St. James Cathedral in Seattle. He gave the homily for the Archdiocese of Washington's 2011 Red Mass for members of the legal profession at which several U.S. Supreme Court Justices and three current Obama Cabinet members were present, which was praised by CNN and other news media for its relatively non-controversial nature (instead of very high-profile bioethical or social justice issues, it focused on the general need for humanity to fully manifest God's love by living for what is good, beyond themselves).
On November 15, 2011, Sartain was elected Secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB); he begins a three-year term in November 2012. His position also makes him chairman of the USCCB Committee on Priorities and Plans.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Catholic Church. He is the fifth and current Archbishop of Seattle
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle
The Archdiocese of Seattle is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of Washington. Headquartered in Seattle, the archdiocese encompasses all counties in the state west of the Cascade Range. Its cathedral is St. James Cathedral, and its present archbishop is J...
, serving since 2010. He previously served as Bishop of Little Rock
Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock is a Roman Catholic diocese in Arkansas. It was founded on November 28, 1843.-History:A dozen Catholic priests accompanied Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto down the Mississippi River in 1541 to a Quapaw Indian village near present-day Helena-West Helena,...
(2000–06) and Bishop of Joliet (2006–10).
Early life and education
J. Peter Sartain was born in MemphisMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, to Joseph Martin ("Pete") and Catherine (née Poole) Sartain. He is the youngest of five children as well as the only boy. His father served in the U.S. Navy
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the Pacific Ocean during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Raised in the Whitehaven
Whitehaven, Memphis
Whitehaven is a predominantly African-American community in Memphis, Tennessee, first organized in the late 19th century. Its current population is about 50,000.-Geography:...
neighborhood of Memphis, he received his early education at the parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
of St. Paul the Apostle Church, and graduated from Bishop Byrne High School
Bishop Byrne High School (Memphis, Tennessee)
Bishop Byrne High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Memphis, Tennessee. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis.-Background:...
in 1970.
Sartain studied chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at Memphis State University
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
for one year before transferring to St. Meinrad College
Saint Meinrad School of Theology
The Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology is located in Saint Meinrad in southern Indiana and is affiliated with the St. Meinrad Archabbey, which itself is affiliated with Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland...
in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in English in 1974. He then studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology
Bachelor of Sacred Theology
The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is a graduate-level academic degree in theology.The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is offered by a number of Pontifical Universities. It is sometimes offered as a graduate degree, for students who have already completed a B.A. or other first degree...
degree in 1977.
Priesthood
On July 15, 1978, Sartain was ordainedHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Bishop Carroll Dozier
Carroll Thomas Dozier
Carroll Thomas Dozier was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Memphis .-Biography:...
at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception may refer to:In Benin:*Basilique de l’Immaculée Conception, OuidahIn Burkina Faso:*Ouagadougou CathedralIn Canada:*Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception...
in Memphis. Returning to his studies in Rome, he was in St. Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome .-History of St...
when the newly-elected Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
emerged from the papal conclave
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
of October 1978. He earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
with specialization in sacramental
Sacraments of the Catholic Church
The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are, the Roman Catholic Church teaches, "efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper...
theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
from the Pontifical University of St. Anselmo
Pontificio Ateneo Sant Anselmo
The Pontificio Ateneo Sant Anselmo is an educational institute of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome...
in 1979.
His first assignment, following his return to the Diocese of Memphis
Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee. It was founded on June 20, 1970, when Pope Paul VI removed the counties in the state west of the Tennessee River from the Diocese of Nashville, which, prior to that time, encompassed the entire state.The diocese is...
, was as associate pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Our Lady of Sorrows Church, where he remained for two years. He then served as director of vocations, chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
, moderator of the curia
Curia (Roman Catholic Church)
In Roman Catholicism, a curia consists of a group of officials who assist in the governance of a particular Church. These curias range from the relatively simple diocesan curia, to the larger patriarchal curias, to the Roman Curia, which is the central government of the Catholic Church.Other...
, vicar for clergy, high school chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
, and and judge with the diocesan marriage tribunal. From 1992 to 2000, he served as pastor of St. Louis Church and vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the diocese. He served as diocesan administrator (1992-93) after Bishop Daniel M. Buechlein
Daniel M. Buechlein
Daniel Mark Buechlein, OSB is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the fifth Archbishop of Indianapolis until his resignation in September 2011; his replacement has not been named by Pope Benedict XVI, so the Archdiocese is a vacant see .- Biography :Daniel Buechlein was...
was named to head the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis is a division of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It was originally erected as the Diocese of Vincennes, Indiana on May 6, 1834, and encompassed all of Indiana as well as the eastern third of Illinois...
.
Bishop of Little Rock
On January 4, 2000, Sartain was appointed the sixth Bishop of Little RockRoman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock is a Roman Catholic diocese in Arkansas. It was founded on November 28, 1843.-History:A dozen Catholic priests accompanied Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto down the Mississippi River in 1541 to a Quapaw Indian village near present-day Helena-West Helena,...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following March 6 from Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran
Eusebius J. Beltran
Eusebius Joseph Beltran is an American prelate. He was the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City from 1993 until 2010. Before his appointment to Oklahoma City, Beltran was bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa from 1978 to 1992....
, with Bishops J. Terry Steib
J. Terry Steib
James Terry Steib, S.V.D. is an African American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fourth and current Bishop of Memphis.-Biography:...
and Andrew Joseph McDonald
Andrew Joseph McDonald
Andrew Joseph McDonald is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Little Rock from 1972 to 2000.-Biography:...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. He was the first priest of the Diocese of Memphis to become a bishop. He selected as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: "Of You My Heart Has Spoken" .
Due to the increasing Hispanic
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
population in Arkansas, Sartain took a course in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
in San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, in 2001, and established Hispanic ministries throughout the state. He also ordained Arkansas's first Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
-born priest and deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
. He worked to increase vocations; the diocese had ten seminarians and no ordinations in 2000, but fifteen seminarians and two ordinations in 2005. In 2005, he led more than 5,000 Catholics in a bilingual Eucharistic Congress. During his tenure, the Catholic population in Arkansas rose from 90,600 to over 107,000.
Bishop of Joliet
On May 16, 2006, Sartain was appointed as bishop of the Diocese of Joliet. He was installed on June 27, 2006, in the Cathedral of St. Raymond NonnatusArchbishop of Seattle
On September 16, 2010, he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle, succeeding Archbishop Alexander Joseph BrunettAlexander Joseph Brunett
Alexander Joseph Brunett is a retired American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Helena from 1994–1997 and as the immediate past Archbishop of Seattle from 1997–2010....
. He was installed as Archbishop on December 1, 2010 in St. James Cathedral in Seattle. He gave the homily for the Archdiocese of Washington's 2011 Red Mass for members of the legal profession at which several U.S. Supreme Court Justices and three current Obama Cabinet members were present, which was praised by CNN and other news media for its relatively non-controversial nature (instead of very high-profile bioethical or social justice issues, it focused on the general need for humanity to fully manifest God's love by living for what is good, beyond themselves).
On November 15, 2011, Sartain was elected Secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
(USCCB); he begins a three-year term in November 2012. His position also makes him chairman of the USCCB Committee on Priorities and Plans.
Episcopal succession
External links
- Archbishop James Peter Sartain at Catholic-Hierarchy.org
- Archdiocese of Seattle