Pope Leo has appointed James Misko to be the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Tucson.
Misko’s ordination and installation will be on Feb. 20, the diocese said Monday morning.
The Bishop-Elect, a Texas native, was ordained a priest in 2007 in the Diocese of Austin, where he currently serves as the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia . He served as the diocesan administrator there for six months, the Tucson diocese said in a news release.
Misko, 55, succeeds Archbishop Edward J. Weisenberger, who left Tucson in March after he was appointed by Pope Francis to serve as the archbishop of Detroit.
Pope Leo has appointed James Misko to be the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Tucson. Bishop-elect Misko’s installation will be on Feb. 20.
Bishop Gerald Kicanas will continue to serve as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Tucson until Misko’s ordination.
Kicanas served as the bishop of the Diocese of Tucson for 14 years before retiring in 2017. But he was appointed by Pope Francis to serve his current role in Tucson following Weisenberger's new assignment.
Kicanas said Pope Leo sent Tucson “a beautiful Christmas gift” in Misko.
Tucson's newly appointed bishop, James Misko, meets with the late Pope Francis.
“I’m confident our new shepherd will serve our diocese lovingly and faithfully as he guides and strengthens our community,” Kicanas said in a statement.
Misko celebrated Mass on Monday afternoon at St. Augustine Cathedral.
James Misko
The diocese said Misko's appointment "is truly a timely blessing."
Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez of the Diocese of Austin was transferred to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, in Texas. That cleared the way for Misko to take a different role in Austin.
The Diocese of Tucson serves about 400,000 Catholics across nine southern Arizona counties.
It was established in 1897 and is geographically the fifth-largest diocese in the continental United States, the diocese says.
