Pope Francis has appointed the Very Rev. Stephen Parkes, a priest of the Diocese of Orlando, as the new Bishop of Savannah.
Since 2011, Parkes has served as pastor at Annunciation Catholic Church in Longwood.
His ministry also includes serving as dean of the North Central Deanery and spiritual director of the Catholic Foundation of Central Florida.
A native of Mineola, N.Y., Parkes succeeds Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer, who became the seventh archbishop of Atlanta earlier this year.
Related: Atlanta's new archbishop: "I will have to walk in my own shoes"
His installation will be held on Sept. 23, which is when he will officially assume the office.
The Diocese of Savannah has been vacant since March 2020.
Parkes was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1998 for the Diocese of Orlando. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from the University of South Florida in Tampa. He studied philosophy and theology at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Fla., and holds a master of divinity.
There are more than 77,000 Catholics in the diocese and includes 79 parishes and missions.
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