Bishop Kihneman’s Upcoming Visit

On Thursday, October 5, Bishop Louis F. Kihneman, III of the Diocese of Biloxi will spend the day at St. Patrick Catholic High School. He will be on campus for the majority of the day, interacting with students and faculty.

“I am very excited to have Bishop Kihneman visit St. Patrick this week,” said Principal Matt Buckley. “He will celebrate mass with our entire school community, will visit each classroom, and will have lunch with our students and faculty.” This will be the first time that the newly-ordained Bishop visits St. Patrick.

Bishop Kihneman was ordained as the Bishop of Biloxi on April 28, 2017 at Nativity of the BVM Cathedral in Biloxi. His previous assignment was as a priest for the Diocese of Corpus Christi for 39 years, where he received the NCEA Distinguished Pastor Award in recognition of his outstanding support for Catholic education. His major support of and dedication to Catholic education comes from a long history of teaching. He taught Scripture and Liturgy in the Diocesan Pastoral Institute and the St. Paul School of Catechesis of the Diocese of Corpus Christi. He loves engaging with the young people of the diocese, as he recently visited Our Lady of Fatima Elementary School in Biloxi and St. Alphonsus Elementary School in Ocean Springs.

Last spring, several St. Patrick students were in attendance at the events and masses both preceding and following the Bishop’s ordination. They served many purposes, from welcoming guests to serving at the receptions. Bishop Kihneman took the time to meet several of the students, including senior Chloe Rizk. “I was so happy to be able to meet him because he really is so eager to get to know all of us and reach out to the youth in our diocese,” she said. “I was only able to speak to him for a few moments last April, so I’m really excited to be able to get to know him better this Thursday!”

“Having Bishop Kihneman spend the day at St. Patrick speaks volumes about his commitment to and emphasis on Catholic education,” said Buckley. “St. Patrick is a remarkable school filled with spirituality, faith-based instruction, high academic standards, and an overall commitment to excellence, so I look forward to having Bishop Kihneman witness that first hand.” The St. Patrick community is thrilled to have the Bishop on campus this Thursday, October 5. All families and friends are invited to celebrate mass with the Bishop at 9:40 a.m. – we hope to see you there!

Story by Richard Springer