Early life Gerald Kicanas was born on August 18, 1941, in
Chicago,
Illinois, He attended Immaculate Heart Elementary School and
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago. Kicanas obtained his
Licentiate in Sacred Theology from
St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. He then earned a Doctor of Educational Psychology degree and a
Master of Education degree in guidance and counseling from
Loyola University Chicago. He worked as an associate pastor until 1978 and then held various offices at the archdiocesan seminary for over 25 years. He served as
rector, principal, and
dean of formation at
Quigley Preparatory Seminary South in Chicago, and became rector of Mundelein Seminary at the
University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois, in 1984. Kicanas chose to express his episcopal
motto in both Spanish and English: "La Justicia Promueve La Paz" and "Justice begets peace", taken from Isaiah 32:17. He also vigorously contested press reports for failing to cite sources and provide context.
Bishop of Tucson Kicanas was named
coadjutor bishop of Tucson on October 30, 2001, and became bishop upon the resignation of Bishop
Manuel Moreno on March 7, 2003. The diocese had been beset by numerous claims of sexual abuse by priests and Kicanas was praised for managing the diocese's response, including using bankruptcy not to evade compensating victims but to establish a process for compensation. The bankruptcy judge praised him, diocesan fundraising improved, and one expert on the US hierarchy called his work "a national model". On November 13, 2007, Kicanas was elected vice-president of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), receiving 22 more votes than Archbishop
Timothy Dolan. On February 28, 2008, the USCCB elected Kicanas a member of its delegation to the twelfth
World Synod of Bishops in
Vatican City in October 2008. In June 2009, Kicanas spoke at the annual meeting of the
National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management at the
Wharton School in Philadelphia. His talk addressed the need for effective communications in the Catholic Church. On November 16, 2010, Dolan defeated Kicanas in the vote for USCCB president. It was the first time in USCCB history that a sitting vice president was not elected president. According to an article in the Jesuit magazine
America, conservative Catholic groups had mounted a strong lobbying campaign against Kicanas. Kicanas served as chair of the board of the
Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) in Washington, D.C., and was a member of the board of directors of the
National Pastoral Life Center in New York City.
Retirement On October 3, 2017,
Pope Francis accepted Kicanas' resignation as bishop of Tucson and named as his successor Bishop
Edward J. Weisenburger.Kicanas was appointed chair of the board of directors at the
National Catholic Educational Association on In January 2018, replacing Bishop
George V. Murry. On September 28, 2018, Kicanas was named
apostolic administrator of the
Diocese of Las Cruces after Bishop
Oscar Cantu was appointed bishop of the
Diocese of San Jose. His assignment there ended on July 23, 2019. In December 2021, Kicanas underwent successful
open heart surgery at
Banner University Medical Center in Tucson. On March 21, 2025, Kicanas was named apostolic administrator of Tucson after Weisenburger was appointed
archbishop of Detroit.
Honors and awards • Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Award from the
Catholic Common Ground Initiative in 2008 • Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from
Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, in 2010 • Honorary Doctor of Laws from the
University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, in 2011 • Bishop John England Award from the
Catholic Media Association in 2018 ==References==