Name Francis Kane Posthumous style not applicable | Religious style Monsignor Spoken style Your Excellency | |
Reference style The Most Reverend | ||
Francis Joseph Kane (born October 30, 1942) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago (serving as Episcopal Vicar of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Vicariate II, which encompasses much of the North Side of Chicago, and several parishes in northern Cook County, Illinois).
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Effective Monday, July 1, 2013, he replaced the retiring Monsignor John F. Canary (who will be active at the Archdiocese's Cardinal Stritch Retreat House and in service to nearby parishes in his retirement as a senior priest), as the Vicar General of the Archdiocese.
Early life and education
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Francis Kane attended Our Lady of Peace Elementary School and graduated from Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in 1961. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Niles College in 1963, and a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in 1969.
Ordination and ministry
Kane was ordained to the priesthood by John Cardinal Cody at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary on Wednesday, May 14, 1969. He then served as associate pastor at St. John Fisher Parish until 1975, and was also named associate director of Center for Pastoral Ministry in 1973. He was associate pastor at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish from 1975 to 1979, and director of the Office for the Ministry of Peace and Justice (1979-1985) and of the Office of Evangelization and Christian Life (1983-1993). He was director of Catholic Relief Services from 1982 to 1987.
From 1993 to his appointment as auxiliary bishop in 2003, Kane served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Wilmette. He also became dean of Deanery A in 1999, serving until 2003.
Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago
On Friday, January 24, 2003, Kane was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago and Titular Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on Wednesday, March 19, 2003 from Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., with Bishops Raymond Goedert and Ricardo Watty Urquidi, M.Sp.S., serving as co-consecrators, at Holy Name Cathedral.
As an auxiliary bishop, Kane also serves as Episcopal Vicar for Vicariate II, and the Cardinal's liaison for the Annual Catholic Appeal and for the Office for Lay Ecclesial Ministry. He is also a member of Aid for Women and the Parish Evaluation Project (PEP), and serves on the Board of Directors of St. Joseph College Seminary.
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he is a member of the Committee on Catholic Education and the Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. He is also a member of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and Knights of Columbus.