David Joseph Bonnar (born February 5, 1962) is an American bishop of the Catholic Church. He is the Bishop of Youngstown, having been appointed to the position in 2020. Before becoming a bishop, he was the editor of a magazine called The Priest and chaplain of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
David J. Bonnar | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Youngstown | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Youngstown |
| Appointed | November 17, 2020 |
| Installed | January 12, 2021 |
| Predecessor | George V. Murry |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | July 23, 1988 by Donald Wuerl |
| Consecration | January 12, 2021 by Dennis Marion Schnurr |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 5, 1962 |
| Nationality | American |
| Denomination | Roman Catholicism |
| Alma mater | Duquesne University Pontifical North American College |
| Motto | That all may be one |
| Coat of arms |  |
Ordination history of David Bonnar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source(s):[1][2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Early life
editBonnar was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 5, 1962.[3] His father worked as a butcher, while his mother was a housewife; he was the fourth of five children.[4] He studied at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in social communications in 1984.[1] Starting in 1984, he attended seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.[1] He went on to obtain a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. On April 14, 1988, Bonnar was ordained to the diaconate at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Three months later, on July 23, 1988, he was ordained to the Catholic priesthood at the Church of Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin in Whitehall, which was his home parish.[2]
Priestly ministry
editBonnar's first pastoral assignment was as parochial vicar of St. Vitus Parish in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He was then transferred to St. Rosalia Parish in Greenfield, Pennsylvania, four years later. He served as parish vicar of St. Thomas More Parish in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, in 1996, before becoming director of vocations, rector of Saint Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh and director of the office for permanent deacons the following year.[1][5] He was appointed as pastor at St. Bernard Parish in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, in 2009, serving there for 11 years. In July 2020, he was appointed the founding pastor of the new St. Aidan Parish in Wexford, Pennsylvania.[1][6]
A spokesman for the diocese and fellow priest noted in 2020 how Bonnar "has shown himself to be a wonderful spiritual leader and a very competent administrator".[5] Bonnar went into self-quarantine at the end of March 2020. This was a precautionary measure after one priest in Pittsburgh tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, while another developed mild symptoms.[7] In addition to his duties as a parish priest, Bonnar served as the editor of The Priest magazine, a position he took in 2014.[1] He also worked as the chaplain of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team.[2][4]
Episcopal ministry
editBonnar was appointed Bishop of Youngstown on November 17, 2020.[1][8] He received his episcopal consecration from Dennis Schnurr on January 12, 2021, at St. Columba Cathedral in Youngstown.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Pope Francis appoints new bishop for the diocese of Youngstown, USA". Vatican News. Holy See. November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Pope Francis Appoints Rev. David Bonnar as Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown". Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "Pittsburgh priest appointed bishop of Youngstown". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Brockhaus, Hannah (November 17, 2020). "Ex-chaplain to Pittsburgh Steelers named bishop of Youngstown, Ohio". EWTN. Catholic News Agency. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Donovan, Sandra Fischione (August 16, 2007). "Penn Hills priest will lend support to revitalize parishes". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "Pope Francis Appoints Rev. David Bonnar as Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown". Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Peter (March 29, 2020). "Pittsburgh priest tests positive for COVID-19". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ Pecchia, Matthew (November 17, 2020). "Reverend David J. Bonnar Named as Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown". Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Peter (January 12, 2021). "Rev. David Bonnar, a longtime Pittsburgh priest, becomes bishop of Youngstown". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
External links
edit- Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown Official Website
- Biography Archived November 30, 2020, at the Wayback Machine on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh website
