Posted by David Lovitt on Jul 29, 2021
Will discuss the relationship and development of the Church and City in Tucson:  How the Cathedral Square renovation might contribute to the renewal of downtown.
 
Gerald F. Kicanas, D.D. - Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Tucson ~ Biography
 
Ministry as Bishop
 
Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago on March 20, 1995 and served as Episcopal Vicar of Vicariate I. He was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Tucson on October 30, 2001. Bishop Kicanas was installed as Bishop of Tucson on March 7, 2003 and became Bishop Emeritus on November 20, 2017. Bishop Kicanas served as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, 2018 to 2019.
 
 
Ministry as Priest
 
Ordained a priest on April 27, 1967, Bishop Kicanas has served in various capacities in the seminary system of the Archdiocese of Chicago for over 25 years, preparing men for parish ministry. He served as Religion Teacher and Counselor for five years and then Principal for ten years of a secondary school of 800 boys. In 1984 he was appointed Rector of Mundelein Seminary at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Illinois, which is the graduate level seminary of the Archdiocese.
 
Other Ministries
 
Over the years Bishop Kicanas has served as:
  • Director of the Catholic Chaplaincy Program of the Cook County, IL Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Chicago
  • Caseworker for Catholic Charities
  • Chaplain for the Chicago Parental School
  • Lecturer in Counseling Psychology and Community and Organizational Development at Loyola University
  • Episcopal Liaison to the National Association for Lay Ministry
He has conducted Convocations, Retreats and Missions for Bishops, Priests, Deacons and Laity in many dioceses in the U.S.
 
Current Involvements
 
Bishop Kicanas is currently Vice Chancellor of the Catholic Extension Society, and Chair of the Mission Committee. Bishop Kicanas is the Chair of the Board of the National Catholic Education Association. He is a member of the Board of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., the USCCB Committee on Catholic Education, Bishop Consultant to the Subcommittee on Africa, and member of the Subcommittee for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. He is a member of the Board of the Bethlehem University Foundation. He is the Episcopal Liaison to the Catholic Cemetery Conference, and Chair of the Subcommittee on Certification for Ecclesial Ministry and Service. He is a member of the Catholic Relief Services Foundation Board.
 
John Shaheen ~ Biography
 
John serves as Property and Insurance Director for the Diocese of Tucson, where he has responsibility for the oversight and administration of all real property and buildings of the Diocese as well as administration of its property and casualty insurance program.  Before that, he was employed by Home Planners, Inc. where he served as Director of Architecture and Designer Relations. Earlier, he had been employed by Unistrut Corporation where he was the Manager of Design and Engineering of space-frame projects.
 
Holding a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Lawrence Technological University, John has spent much of his career as an architect. In this role, his body of work for the diocese has included the design of Santa Catalina Parish Church and Prayer Garden, Our Lady of La Salette Mission addition in Double Adobe, Our Lady of La Vang Shrine, and Garden of Our Ancestors at All Faiths Cemetery.
 
John and his wife, Kathy, have been residents of Oro Valley for 31 years. Their son Mike is a graduate of the University of Arizona and is now teaching music. Their daughter Bethany is also a graduate of the University of Arizona and has taught at San Miguel High School for the past 7 years.
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