Bishop John LeVoir Of Diocese Of New Ulm Resigns
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Bishop John LeVoir announced Thursday he is resigning from the Diocese of New Ulm due to health reasons.
LeVoir, who was born and raised in Minneapolis, was appointed to the position by Pope Benedict XVI on July 14, 2008. Pope Francis accepted his resignation, effective Thursday.
According to the diocese, LeVoir has been undergoing physical and psychological assessment at Sacred Heart Mercy Health Care Center in Alma, Michigan. He will stay there until early September while he completes therapy.
"Although these last years have been very challenging for the diocese and the life of the Church, it has been a privilege to have served the faithful of the Diocese of New Ulm," said LeVoir. "As bishop, it has not only been a great honor, but an enriching experience as I have come to know many people throughout this local Church."
In March, a U.S. bankruptcy court judge approved a $34 million settlement of the Diocese of New Ulm and the 93 people who said they were sexually abused by priests and others.
LeVoir was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1981. Before serving as the bishop of New Ulm, he was a pastor a the Church of St. Michael and the Church of St. Mary in Stillwater.
According to the Code of Canon Law, when a bishop of a diocese leaves office and no appointment is made by the Holy See to fill the position, a diocesan administrator is elected by the diocesan College of Consultors to govern the diocese. Once he accepts his election, the administrator holds the power of a bishop until the pope appoints a new bishop.
At this point, there is no timeline for the appointment of a new bishop.
