US bishops to elect a new secretary and six committee chairmen in November

US bishops will elect a new secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the chairmen of six standing committees at their fall plenary assembly, to be held in Baltimore from November 16 to 19. The conference confirmed this in a statement released today.

The secretary's post is on the ballot again because the current secretary, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, was elected at the November 2025 assembly only to complete the term of Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, who left the office after being elected president of the conference.

Candidates for secretary

The candidates for secretary, a post that also carries the chairmanship of the Committee on Priorities and Plans, are Rhoades and Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus.

Candidates for the standing committees

For chairman of the Committee on Catholic Education, the candidates are Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln and Auxiliary Bishop Edmund J. Whalen of New York. The candidates for the Committee on Communications are Bishop Daniel J. Felton of Duluth and Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria.

For the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, the candidates are Dominican Bishop Steven J. Maekawa of Fairbanks and Bishop Michael M. Pham of San Diego. The Committee on Doctrine race is between Bishop William M. Joensen of Des Moines and Bishop Steven J. Lopes of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

For the Committee on National Collections, the candidates are Bishop Mark A. Eckman of Pittsburgh and Bishop Gerald L. Vincke of Salina. For the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, the candidates are Bishop John T. Folda of Fargo and Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison.

Taking office

Those elected will serve one year as chairmen-elect and will begin their three-year terms at the close of the fall 2027 plenary assembly.