8 Gulf Pine Catholic • July 11, 2025 St. Louis native, auxiliary bishop named third archbishop of Mobile, bringing a heart for mercy and service to the peripheries BY JENNIFER BRINKER St. Louis Review Pope Leo XIV has appointed St. Louis Auxiliary Bishop Mark S. Rivituso as the 10th bishop and third archbishop of Mobile, AL. Archbishop-elect Rivituso succeeds Archbishop Thomas Rodi, who submitted his letter of resignation in March 2024 at the age of 75, the age at which bishops are required by canon law to submit their retirement to the pope. He has served the archdiocese since 2008. The appointment and resignation were announced in Washington on July 1 by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Archbishop-elect Rivituso, 63, will shepherd an archdiocese with about 107,000 Catholics in 83 parishes and parish missions along the lower 28 counties of the state of Alabama. The Province of Mobile includes the dioceses of Biloxi and Jackson, MS, and the Diocese of Birmingham, AL. As a native St. Louisan who has spent the majority of his priesthood here, he immediately thought of how much the Church in the Archdiocese of St. Louis has been like family to him. The people of St. Louis have helped him to “answer the call of Christ in my own life and to grow in greater holiness,” Archbishop-elect Rivituso said. “I’ve been so blessed by His disciples and so many people of goodwill who have helped me to grow in my own life of faith and also a life of trusting in the Lord that He will give me what I need to be (as) that shepherd for others.” In a letter to clergy, Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski described Archbishop-elect Rivituso’s ministry as having a “positive effect on so many lives, and his outreach to those on the peripheries has truly brought the presence of Christ to those who are most in need.” “While I personally will miss the collaboration and support that I have felt from Archbishop-elect Rivituso since my arrival here and know that you will too, it is a blessing that the Holy Father has recognized his gifts and talents for service to the Church of Mobile, AL,” Archbishop Rozanski said. Archbishop-elect Rivituso has served as an auxiliary bishop for St. Louis since the late Pope Francis appointed him to the role in 2017. Prior to that, he served as vicar general for the archdiocese, as well as a parish priest and a canon lawyer with the archdiocese’s Metropolitan Tribunal. He was born in St. Louis on Sept. 20, 1961, the sixth of eight children toAugust (Gus) and Rosemary Rivituso. He was baptized in 1961 at St. Wenceslaus Parish in south St. Louis and attended St. Wenceslaus School, which later became Notre Dame Elementary School. His father worked three jobs -- as a barber, providing a television service at the former Missouri Pacific Hospital and as a bottler for Anheuser-Busch Brewery -- to support the family, who lived in a two-family flat in south St. Louis. As a student at St. Mary’s High School, Bishopelect Rivituso prayed daily before the Blessed Sacrament in the school chapel, which solidified his call to the priesthood. He knew he wanted to become a diocesan priest, so he could serve in St. Louis. His parents, who were supportive of his vocation, taught him the value of family and the importance of being generous of heart, even when they didn’t have much growing up. The family attended Holy Hours and Perpetual Help devotions, and toured churches on Holy Thursdays to visit the Blessed Sacrament. Archbishop-elect Rivituso attended Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick Seminary. He also earned a master’s degree and a licentiate in canon and civil law from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. He was ordained a priest for the archdiocese at the St. Louis Cathedral (now Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis) by the late Archbishop John L. May in 1988. (Of note: Archbishop May served as bishop of Mobile prior to his appointment in St. Louis.) Pope Benedict XVI named him a monsignor in 2005. He served as a confessor for the Little Sisters of the Poor and was a chaplain for the Veterans Administration in St. Louis. He has been long involved in prison ministry, including to those on Missouri’s death row, and in advocacy to end the death penalty in the state of Missouri. SEE MOBILE’S NEW ARCHBISHOP, PAGE 13 St. Louis Auxiliary Bishop Mark S. Rivituso appointed third archbishop of Mobile, AL Courtesy of the Archdiocese of St. Louis Statement from Bishop Louis F. Kihneman III of Biloxi I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi for his steadfast leadership and dedicated service to the Archdiocese of Mobile and the wider Province of Mobile. His pastoral care, particularly during times of challenge, such as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, has left a lasting imprint on our Church and our hearts. As we bid farewell to Archbishop Rodi, I extend a warm welcome to Archbishop-elect Mark S. Rivituso. I have known Archbishopelect Rivituso since I was named Bishop of Biloxi and I know him to be a man of deep faith who loves the Church. I look forward to working with him in our Province of Mississippi and Alabama as he embarks on this new chapter of service to our shared Church. May his ministry be marked by grace, wisdom, and a deep commitment to the people of our region. Please join me in praying for bothArchbishop Rodi as he enters a well-deserved retirement, and Archbishop-elect Rivituso as he begins this new and important mission. With gratitude and prayers, Bishop Louis F. Kihneman III Diocese of Biloxi
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