David Choby
Encyclopedia
David Raymond Choby is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the eleventh and current Bishop of Nashville
, having previously served as Diocesan Administrator (2004-2006).
and baptized in the Cathedral Church of the Incarnation, where he would eventually be consecrated a bishop.
Choby is the son of Raymond and Rita Choby, both deceased. He has one sister, Diane C. Dyche of Fort Worth, Texas
. He attended Catholic schools growing up, and he graduated from Father Ryan High School
in 1965.
in Nashville, Bishop Choby entered the seminary at St. Ambrose College
in Davenport, Iowa
. Later, he studied at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Bishop Choby received the Sacrament of Holy Orders and was ordained a priest on September 6, 1974 by His Excellency Joseph A. Durick
, Bishop of Nashville at St. Henry Church in Belle Meade
.
before being consecrated bishop.
He was associate pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Madison
, administrator of St. Ann Parish in Nashville
, and spent three years in residence at Christ the King Parish in Nashville while working at the Diocesan Tribunal.
From 1989 until his ordination as bishop, Bishop Choby was the parish pastor at St. John Vianney Parish in Gallatin
, where he was active in the community and in the local ministerial association.
degree
from the Angelicum University in Rome and served as a member of the Diocesan Tribunal throughout most of his priesthood, prior to becoming bishop. He also has served two five-year terms on the diocese’s Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors.
From 1984 to 1989, Bishop Choby was on the faculty of the Pontifical College Josephinum
, a prestigious seminary in Columbus, Ohio
. Since becoming bishop, Bishop Choby has been a member of the seminary’s board of trustees.
appointed the 10th Bishop of Nashville, Edward U. Kmiec
, as the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Buffalo, New York
. Bishop Choby, then a priest in diocese of Nashville, was elected Diocesan Administrator by the Diocesan College of Consultors.
appointed him Bishop of Nashville on December 20, 2005. He is only the second priest of the diocese since it was founded in 1837 to be tapped as its bishop; the others have all come from outside the diocese.
Bishop Choby was consecrated and installed as Bishop of Nashville on February 27, 2006 in the Cathedral Church of the Incarnation. The principal consecrator was Archbishop
Thomas C. Kelly of the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky
.
Bishop Choby chose as his episcopal motto: "That We May Live," a quotation from the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer.
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 Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He is the eleventh and current Bishop of Nashville
Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee. It was founded on July 28, 1837 by the Dominican Bishop Richard Pius Miles. The Cathedral Church of the Incarnation is the seat of the Bishops of Nashville....
, having previously served as Diocesan Administrator (2004-2006).
Early life
Bishop Choby was born in NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and baptized in the Cathedral Church of the Incarnation, where he would eventually be consecrated a bishop.
Choby is the son of Raymond and Rita Choby, both deceased. He has one sister, Diane C. Dyche of Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. He attended Catholic schools growing up, and he graduated from Father Ryan High School
Father Ryan High School
Father Ryan High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Nashville, Tennessee. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville and named for Father Abram J. Ryan.-Campus:...
in 1965.
Education and ordination
After spending one year at Aquinas CollegeAquinas College (Tennessee)
Aquinas College is a Roman Catholic institution of higher learning located in Nashville, Tennessee, named in honor of Saint Thomas Aquinas.Aquinas College was founded by the Dominican Order in 1928 as St. Cecilia Normal School, and was first a school for nuns located at the St. Cecilia Motherhouse...
in Nashville, Bishop Choby entered the seminary at St. Ambrose College
St. Ambrose College
St. Ambrose College is a leading state Voluntary Aided, Christian Brothers' Roman Catholic boys' grammar school located in Hale Barns, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It was founded in 1946. In 2005, St Ambrose College became a mathematics and computing college and the school is today...
in Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
. Later, he studied at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Bishop Choby received the Sacrament of Holy Orders and was ordained a priest on September 6, 1974 by His Excellency Joseph A. Durick
Joseph Aloysius Durick
Joseph Aloysius Durick was a U.S. Roman Catholic bishop and civil rights advocate. He publicly opposed the Vietnam War and the death penalty, which led to criticism from conservative circles...
, Bishop of Nashville at St. Henry Church in Belle Meade
Belle Meade, Tennessee
Belle Meade is a city in Davidson County, Tennessee, United States, within Nashville.-Overview:In 1963, it was absorbed into the metropolitan government of Nashville-Davidson County, however, it retains its independent city status, and its residents pay taxes both to the Metro government and to the...
.
Service as a priest
Bishop Choby served a number of assignments in the Diocese of NashvilleRoman Catholic Diocese of Nashville
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee. It was founded on July 28, 1837 by the Dominican Bishop Richard Pius Miles. The Cathedral Church of the Incarnation is the seat of the Bishops of Nashville....
before being consecrated bishop.
He was associate pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Madison
Madison, Tennessee
Madison, Tennessee is a neighborhood in northeast Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. It is incorporated as part of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
, administrator of St. Ann Parish in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, and spent three years in residence at Christ the King Parish in Nashville while working at the Diocesan Tribunal.
From 1989 until his ordination as bishop, Bishop Choby was the parish pastor at St. John Vianney Parish in Gallatin
Gallatin, Tennessee
Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, along a navigable tributary of the Cumberland River. The population was 23,230 at the 2000 census. Named for U.S...
, where he was active in the community and in the local ministerial association.
Canon lawyer and professor
Bishop Choby holds a Canon LawCanon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
degree
Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law...
from the Angelicum University in Rome and served as a member of the Diocesan Tribunal throughout most of his priesthood, prior to becoming bishop. He also has served two five-year terms on the diocese’s Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors.
From 1984 to 1989, Bishop Choby was on the faculty of the Pontifical College Josephinum
Pontifical College Josephinum
The Pontifical College Josephinum is a four-year, Roman Catholic liberal arts college and graduate school of theology founded by Monsignor Joseph Jessing in 1888 and located in Columbus, Ohio, USA. The seminary prepares its students to become priests in the Roman Catholic Church. Students come...
, a prestigious seminary in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. Since becoming bishop, Bishop Choby has been a member of the seminary’s board of trustees.
Sede vacante
On August 12, 2004, Pope John Paul IIPope 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 ...
appointed the 10th Bishop of Nashville, Edward U. Kmiec
Edward U. Kmiec
Edward Urban Kmiec is the thirteenth and current Roman Catholic Bishop of Buffalo. Kmiec served as Auxiliary Bishop of Diocese of Trenton from 1982 until his installation as Bishop of Nashville in 1992...
, as the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese
Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo
The Diocese of Buffalo is a Catholic diocese headquartered in Buffalo, New York, USA. The current Bishop is the Most Rev. Edward U. Kmiec.The Diocese of Buffalo was established 23 April 1847. It consists of Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, Chautauqua, Wyoming, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties...
of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Bishop Choby, then a priest in diocese of Nashville, was elected Diocesan Administrator by the Diocesan College of Consultors.
Appointment as bishop
Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
appointed him Bishop of Nashville on December 20, 2005. He is only the second priest of the diocese since it was founded in 1837 to be tapped as its bishop; the others have all come from outside the diocese.
Bishop Choby was consecrated and installed as Bishop of Nashville on February 27, 2006 in the Cathedral Church of the Incarnation. The principal consecrator was Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Thomas C. Kelly of the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
Bishop Choby chose as his episcopal motto: "That We May Live," a quotation from the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer.
External links
- David Choby at Catholic-Hierarchy.org
- David Choby at DioceseofNashville.com