Steven J. Raica

Styles of
**Steven John Raica**
Styles of; Steven John Raica
Reference style	His Excellency; The Most Reverend;
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Steven John Raica

J.C.D.
His Excellency, The Most Reverend; Steven John Raica; J.C.D.
Bishop of Birmingham
Church	Catholic Church
Diocese	Birmingham
Appointed	March 25, 2020
Installed	June 23, 2020
Predecessor	Robert Joseph Baker
Orders
Ordination	November 19, 1977 (deacon) ; October 14, 1978 (priest); by Kenneth Joseph Povish
Consecration	August 28, 2014; by Allen Henry Vigneron, Carl Frederick Mengeling, and Bernard Hebda
Personal details
Born	November 8, 1952 (age 69); Munising, Michigan
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Gaylord
Alma mater	Michigan State University; St. John’s Provincial Seminary; University of Detroit; Pontifical Gregorian University;
Motto	SURSUM CORDA; Lift up your hearts

Steven John Raica (born November 8, 1952) is a Catholic bishop in the United States. In 2020, he became the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama.

Biography[]

Early life and education[]

Steven John Raica was born in Munising, Michigan to Steve and Mary Raica.^[1] He earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University, a master of divinity degree from St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan and a Master of Arts degree in religious studies from the University of Detroit.

Ordination and ministry[]

Raica was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lansing by Bishop Kenneth Povish on October 14, 1978.^[2] After ordination, he served as the parochial vicar at two parishes between 1978 and 1984: Holy Redeemer Parish in Burton, Michigan and St. Pius X Parish in Flint, Michigan. He served as pastor of Holy Family Parish in Ovid, Michigan from 1984 to 1985 and as co-rector of St. Mary Cathedral from 1985 to 1988. Raica earned a licentiate and a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. After his return to Michigan he became the pastor of St. Mary Parish in Charlotte, Michigan from 1991 to 1993 and St. Ann Parish in Bellevue, Michigan from 1995 to 1997. From 1997 to 1999 and from 2005 to 2014 Raica served as chancellor of the Lansing diocese.^[2] Pope John Paul II named him an Honorary Prelate of His Holiness, with the title Monsignor, in 1998. He was superior of Casa Santa Maria, the graduate studies house of the Pontifical North American College in Rome from 1999 to 2005. At the same time he served as a spiritual director and adjunct faculty at the college. In addition Raica served the Lansing diocese's tribunal as a pro-synodal judge, the promoter of justice and a tribunal judge. He was also involved in ministry to the deaf and is fluent in American Sign Language, can converse in Italian and Polish, and has a reading knowledge of Latin, French, Spanish and German.^[1]

Bishop of Gaylord, Michigan[]

Coat of Arms as Bishop of Gaylord

On June 27, 2014, Pope Francis appointed Raica the fifth bishop of Gaylord.^[3]^[4] He was consecrated by Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit on August 28, 2014, in St. Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Gaylord, Michigan. Bishop Emeritus Carl Mengeling of Lansing and Coadjutor Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Newark were the principal co-consecrators.

Bishop of Birmingham[]

Pope Francis named him Bishop of Birmingham, Alabama, on March 25, 2020.^[5]^[6] He was installed on June 23, 2020. Attendance at the ceremony was limited to about one hundred guests who wore masks and practiced social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.^[7]

References[]

^ ^a ^b "Pope selects Michigan priest to become bishop". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Pope Names Lansing, Michigan Chancellor as Bishop of Gaylord, Michigan". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
^ "Bishop Steven John Raica". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
^ "Diocese of Gaylord". Giga-Catholic. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
^ "Resignations and Appointments, 25.03.2020" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
^ "The Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama Press Kit" (PDF). Retrieved March 25, 2020.
^ Garrison, Greg (June 23, 2020). "New Catholic bishop takes office". AL.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020.

External links[]

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Robert Joseph Baker	Bishop of Birmingham 2020–present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Bernard Hebda	Bishop of Gaylord 2014–2020	Succeeded by Jeffrey Walsh

[cna-1] "Pope selects Michigan priest to become bishop". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved August 28, 2014.

[usccb-2] "Pope Names Lansing, Michigan Chancellor as Bishop of Gaylord, Michigan". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 28, 2014.

[hierarchy-3] "Bishop Steven John Raica". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved August 28, 2014.

[gcatholic-4] "Diocese of Gaylord". Giga-Catholic. Retrieved August 28, 2014.

[5] "Resignations and Appointments, 25.03.2020" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.

[6] "The Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama Press Kit" (PDF). Retrieved March 25, 2020.

[7] Garrison, Greg (June 23, 2020). "New Catholic bishop takes office". AL.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020.

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v t Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama
Ordinaries	Bishops Joseph Gregory Vath Raymond James Boland David Edward Foley Robert Joseph Baker Steven John Raica
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Paul, Birmingham Parishes St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church, Huntsville Shrine Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Hanceville
Education	High schools Pope John Paul II Catholic High School, Huntsville Holy Family Cristo Rey High School, Birmingham Holy Spirit Catholic School, Tuscaloosa John Carroll Catholic High School, Birmingham Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School, McClellan Independent school St. Bernard Preparatory School, Cullman
Catholicism portal

v t Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord
Bishops	Edmund Szoka Robert John Rose Patrick R. Cooney Bernard Hebda Steven J. Raica
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord Cathedral St. Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral Parishes St. Joseph's Church, Glen Arbor Shrine Cross in the Woods
Education	High Schools Catholic Central High School, Manistee St. Francis High School, Traverse City St. Mary Cathedral High School, Gaylord St. Mary High School, Lake Leelanau , Petoskey
Priests	Chad Zielinski
Catholicism portal

v t Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing
Bishops	Ordinaries Joseph H. Albers Alexander M. Zaleski Kenneth Joseph Povish Carl Frederick Mengeling Earl Alfred Boyea, Jr. Auxiliaries Michael Joseph Green James Stephen Sullivan
Churches	List of churches St. Mary Cathedral, Lansing St. Mary of Good Counsel Church, Adrian St. Patrick's Church, Ann Arbor St. Joseph Church and Shrine, Cambridge Township St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Jackson St. Elizabeth's Church, Tecumseh (former)
Education	Higher Education Siena Heights University High Schools Father Gabriel Richard High School [Ann Arbor] Lansing Catholic High School Lumen Christi Catholic High School [Jackson] Powers Catholic High School [Flint] St. Thomas More Academy [Burton]
Priests	Paul Vincent Donovan Steven J. Raica Gerald Lee Vincke
Catholicism portal