J. Terry Steib
Encyclopedia
James Terry Steib, S.V.D.
(born May 17, 1940) is an African American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the fourth and current Bishop of Memphis
.
, Louisiana
to Rosemond and Vivian (née Jones) Steib. He worked alongside his father in the sugar cane
fields of Louisiana, and was inspired to become a priest
by his doctors, ministers and community leaders. He attended St. Augustine Divine Word Seminary in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
from 1953-57, and graduated from Divine Word Seminary in Conesus
, New York
in 1961. He completed his philosophical
studies also at Divine Word Seminary in Techny, Illinois
in 1963, and earned a theological
degree
from Divine Word Seminary in Bay St. Louis in 1967.
Steib was ordained
a priest
of the Society of the Divine Word
on January 6, 1967, and served as Assistant Dean of Students at Divine Word Seminary in Bay St. Louis until 1969. He was a professor
at St. Stanislaus High School in Bay St. Louis from 1967-76, and earned a Master of Arts
degree in Guidance and Counseling from Xavier University of Louisiana
in 1973. In 1976, he was elected to the first of three terms (1976–1983) as the provincial superior
of the Society of the Divine Word's Southern Province. He was also Vice-President
of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men from 1979 to 1983.
On December 6, 1983, Steib was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis and Titular Bishop
of Fallaba by Pope John Paul II
. He received his episcopal consecration
on February 10, 1984 from Archbishop John L. May
, with Bishops Gottwald and Koester, serving as co-consecrators
. He was later named to succeed Daniel M. Buechlein
as the fourth Bishop of Memphis
on March 24, 1993.
During the 2008 presidential election
, Steib declared, "We cannot be a one issue people ... If our conscience is well formed, then we will make the right choices about candidates who may not support the Church's position in every case."
Divine Word Missionaries
The Society of the Divine Word , popularly called the Divine Word Missionaries, and sometimes the Steyler Missionaries, is a missionary religious congregation in the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the Catholic Church. As of 2006 it consisted of 6,102 members composed...
(born May 17, 1940) is an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
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 fourth and current Bishop of Memphis
Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee. It was founded on June 20, 1970, when Pope Paul VI removed the counties in the state west of the Tennessee River from the Diocese of Nashville, which, prior to that time, encompassed the entire state.The diocese is...
.
Biography
The oldest of five children, J. Terry Steib was born in VacherieVacherie, Louisiana
Vacherie is a small unincorporated community in St. James Parish, Louisiana, United States. Near the community is the WCKW/KSTE-Tower, a guyed mast noted as one of the tallest constructions on Earth.-Census-designated places:...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
to Rosemond and Vivian (née Jones) Steib. He worked alongside his father in the sugar cane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
fields of Louisiana, and was inspired to become a priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by his doctors, ministers and community leaders. He attended St. Augustine Divine Word Seminary in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay Saint Louis is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 8,209. It is the county seat of Hancock County...
from 1953-57, and graduated from Divine Word Seminary in Conesus
Conesus, New York
Conesus is a town in Livingston County, New York , United States. The population was 2,353 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a native word meaning "Berry place."...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1961. He completed his philosophical
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
studies also at Divine Word Seminary in Techny, Illinois
Techny, Illinois
Techny is a neighborhood of Northbrook, Illinois, United States. Techny was once a separate community but was eventually annexed by Northbrook. The North American headquarters of the Divine Word Missionaries has been located in Techny since 1896. The Divine Word Missionaries opened St...
in 1963, and earned a theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
from Divine Word Seminary in Bay St. Louis in 1967.
Steib was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
a priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
of the Society of the Divine Word
Divine Word Missionaries
The Society of the Divine Word , popularly called the Divine Word Missionaries, and sometimes the Steyler Missionaries, is a missionary religious congregation in the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the Catholic Church. As of 2006 it consisted of 6,102 members composed...
on January 6, 1967, and served as Assistant Dean of Students at Divine Word Seminary in Bay St. Louis until 1969. He was a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at St. Stanislaus High School in Bay St. Louis from 1967-76, and earned a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in Guidance and Counseling from Xavier University of Louisiana
Xavier University of Louisiana
Xavier University of Louisiana , located in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college with the distinction of being the only historically black Roman Catholic institution of higher education...
in 1973. In 1976, he was elected to the first of three terms (1976–1983) as the provincial superior
Provincial superior
A Provincial Superior is a major superior of a religious order acting under the order's Superior General and exercising a general supervision over all the members of that order in a territorial division of the order called a province--similar to but not to be confused with an ecclesiastical...
of the Society of the Divine Word's Southern Province. He was also Vice-President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men from 1979 to 1983.
On December 6, 1983, Steib was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Fallaba by Pope John Paul II
Pope 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 ...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on February 10, 1984 from Archbishop John L. May
John L. May
John Lawrence May was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Mobile and Archbishop of St. Louis .-Early life and education:...
, with Bishops Gottwald and Koester, serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. He was later named to succeed Daniel M. Buechlein
Daniel M. Buechlein
Daniel Mark Buechlein, OSB is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the fifth Archbishop of Indianapolis until his resignation in September 2011; his replacement has not been named by Pope Benedict XVI, so the Archdiocese is a vacant see .- Biography :Daniel Buechlein was...
as the fourth Bishop of Memphis
Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee. It was founded on June 20, 1970, when Pope Paul VI removed the counties in the state west of the Tennessee River from the Diocese of Nashville, which, prior to that time, encompassed the entire state.The diocese is...
on March 24, 1993.
During the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Steib declared, "We cannot be a one issue people ... If our conscience is well formed, then we will make the right choices about candidates who may not support the Church's position in every case."
External links
- National Black Catholc Congress bio of J. Terry Steib
- National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus bio of J. Terry Steib