WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Reverend Godfrey Mullen, O.S.B., as Bishop of Belleville. Bishop-elect Mullen is a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, and current administrator of the Diocese of Belleville. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on March 13, 2026, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Mullen was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Mullen was born January 22, 1966, in Salem, Illinois. He studied at St. Meinrad College in Indiana where he received a bachelor’s degree in history (1988), a master’s degree in theology (1991), and a master of divinity (1994); he received a Ph.D. in liturgical studies from The Catholic University of America (2003). Father Mullen made his solemn monastic profession with the Order of Saint Benedict on August 15, 1992, and he was ordained to the priesthood on June 5, 1994.

Bishop-elect Mullen’s pastoral assignments include: professor of liturgy at St. Meinrad College in Indiana; rector of St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville, Indiana; rector of Saint Peter Cathedral in Belleville, Illinois; pastor of Blessed Sacrament parish, and of Queen of Peace parish in Belleville, Illinois. He has also served as vicar general of the Diocese of Belleville and has been apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Belleville since May 9, 2025. Bishop-elect Mullen has authored several articles and books about liturgy.

The Diocese of Belleville is comprised of 11,678 square miles in the State of Illinois.

###

Mozart’s Requiem in D minor echo through the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, in a performance by the Choir and Orchestra of the Warsaw Chamber Opera. Stripped of excessive interpretative weight, the work emerges with renewed clarity, revealing the natural humanity of a masterpiece that meditates on life, death, and hope.

Read all

 

Ethiopia’s Catholic Bishops condemn acts of violence committed against civilians in various parts of the country and appeal to men and women of goodwill to resist hatred and reject attempts to create division in society.

Read all

 

In a statement, the Cuban government says the decision to pardon dozens of prisoners in the coming days has been taken in a spirit of goodwill and fluid diplomatic relations with the Holy See and coincides with the proximity of Holy Week celebrations.

Read all

 

The Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Roberto Pasolini, delivers his second Lenten meditation to the Roman Curia, with Pope Leo in attendance, and reflects on the grace and responsibility of communion, drawing on Saint Francis’s insight that relationships with others are an opportunity to learn the logic of the Gospel.

Read all

 

Pope Leo XIV invites Christians who bear responsibility for war to make a serious examination of conscience, as he meet with future confessors.

Read all

 

On the eve of the National Purple Ribbon Day, pediatricians in Italy warn that eating disorders are affecting children at increasingly younger ages, and call on families to recognize early warning signs and seek timely support.

Read all

 

Pope Leo XIV thanks representatives of Italy's Catholic Foundation and Catholic Insurance Society for their important contribution to social cohesion and to the protection of the most vulnerable.

Read all

 

The founder of the English Franciscan province, Blessed Agnello, was admitted into the Order by St. Francis himself on the occasion of his sojourn in Pisa. He was sent to the Friary in Paris, of which he became the guardian, and in 1224, St. Francis appointed him to found an English province; at the time he was only a deacon. Eight others were selected to accompany him. True to the precepts of St. Francis, they had no money, and the monks of Fecamp paid their passage over to Dover. They made ...

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of FADICA-Catholic Philanthropy Network, Pope Leo XIV encourages the organization to continue its “worthy mission” of helping those most in need.

Read all