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September 15, 2015 It is with faith and trust in the grace and love of Jesus Christ and in God’s providential designs, that I accept the appointment of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, to be the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. I am very humbled...

September 15, 2015 Dear Friends, This morning in Rome, Pope Francis announced that he has appointed me to be the next bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.  I have accepted his appointment, trusting in the love of Jesus Christ and God's mysterious...

June 26, 2015 It is said that Abraham Lincoln once asked rhetorically, “If you call a tail a leg, how many legs does a horse have? Four, calling a tail a leg does not make it a leg.” Today, the Supreme Court, in essence, determined to call a tail a leg when it...

Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau ​Re: Mercy Healthcare, Springfield We believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and God. We believe that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” and strive to follow the Bible’s counsel: “Do...

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Protecting Human Dignity and Religious Freedom A Statement of Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr. to Catholics and All Persons of Good Will, in the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau The Springfield City Council is currently scheduled to vote...

The Supreme Court decisions [June 26] were deeply disappointing. Laws that reflect the truth about marriage as a union between one man and one woman should be upheld, as these ultimately protect children and their rights to be conceived and raised by their mother and...