His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Jeffrey Michael Fleming
Bishop of Great Falls-Billings
DioceseGreat Falls-Billings
AppointedApril 19, 2022
InstalledJune 22, 2022
Orders
OrdinationMay 19, 1992
by Elden Francis Curtiss
ConsecrationJune 22, 2022
by Michael William Warfel, Alexander King Sample, and Austin Vetter
Personal details
Born (1966-02-10) February 10, 1966
Billings, Montana
Previous post(s)Chancellor, Diocese of Helena
Alma materCarroll College
Mount Angel Seminary
Catholic University of America
MottoGo Make Disciples
Styles of
Jeffrey Michael Fleming
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Jeffrey Michael Fleming (born February 10, 1966) is an American bishop of the Catholic Church and is the bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings in Montana. Fleming was named coadjutor in 2022 and bishop in 2023.[1]

Biography

Early life

Jeffrey Fleming was born in Billings, Montana, on February 10, 1966, to Mike and Glenda (nee Gibson) Fleming, and raised in Belt, Montana, along with two sisters[2] He received his sacraments of Confession, First Holy Communion and Confirmation at Saint Mark's Catholic Church.

Fleming obtained a bachelor's degree in theology and religious education at Carroll College in Helena in 1988.[3] He earned his master's degree in theology at Mount Angel Seminary in Saint Benedict, Oregon, in 1992 and his licentiate in canon law from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1998.[3]

Priesthood

Fleming was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Helena on May 19, 1992 by Eldon F. Curtiss, Bishop of Helena.[4][3] After his ordination, Fleming served the following pastoral roles in Montana:

  • Parish vicar of the Anaconda Catholic Community in Anaconda in 1992 and of the Saint Helena Cathedral in 1996
  • Chaplain of Carroll College in 1998
  • Pastor of Saint Rose of Lima Parish in Dillon in 2003, of Christ the King Parish in Missoula in 2006, of Saint John the Baptist Parish in Frenchtown in 2013, of Saint Michael Parish in Drummond and of Saint Philip Parish in Philipsburg in 2016
  • Administrator of Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish in Helmville and of Saint Jude parish in Lincoln in 2019

For the diocese, Fleming was a member of the priests council and of the College of Consultors. From 2020 to 2022, he was chancellor, moderator of the diocesan curia and adjunct judicial vicar.[3] He also served as the bishop's delegate to the school board of Missoula Catholic Schools.[5]

In response to a 2020 instruction[6] from the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy regarding role of the parish in view of the institutional decline of the Catholic Church, Fleming said that the document stresses that every member of a parish is called to be a "witness of Christ, a light to the world...Pope Francis is calling us to be a church that looks outwardly, not just inside the church itself... To bring more people to the table, especially the poor and marginalized."[7]

Bishop of Great Falls-Billings

Coat of Arms as Coadjutor Bishop of Great Falls_Billings

Pope Francis appointed Fleming as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings on April 19, 2022.[8][9] Fleming was consecrated by Bishop Michael Warfel as bishop in Great Falls on June 22 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.[9][10] Bishop George Leo Thomas was to have served as one of his co-consecrators but tested positive for COVID-19. Archbishop Alexander Sample served in his place.

Pope Francis accepted Warfel's resignation on 22 Aug 2023. Fleming succeeded Warfel as bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings at that time.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Bishop Michael Warfel of Great Falls-Billings; Succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Jeffrey Fleming | USCCB". www.usccb.org. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  2. ↑ "Glenda Fleming". Great Falls Tribune. May 16, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Legacy.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Rinunce e nomine, 19.04.2022" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Helena, Mont., diocesan chancellor is named Great Falls-Billings coadjutor". Our Sunday Visitor. 2022-04-19. Archived from the original on 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  5. ↑ "About MCS". Missoula Catholic Schools. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  6. ↑ "Instruction "The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelising mission of the Church", of the Congregation for the Clergy". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  7. ↑ "Vatican instructions give parishioners more hope in face of closings". National Catholic Reporter. 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  8. ↑ "Pope Francis Names Father Jeffrey Fleming of Diocese of Helena as Coadjutor Bishop of Great Falls-Billings". Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Fr Jeffrey Michael Fleming named Coadjutor Bishop of Great Falls-Billings" (PDF). Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Fleming named as successor to Bishop Warfel". Retrieved April 19, 2022.
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