From the Diocese of Knoxville: 

Pope Francis has appointed Father James Mark Beckman, 61, a priest of the Diocese of Nashville for more than three decades, as the fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville. The appointment was announced in Washington, D.C., on May 7, 2024, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

“I am blessed and honored to accept this appointment from the Holy Father,” Bishop-elect Beckman said. “I am a native Tennessean, and I am grateful that I can continue serving the Church and now the faithful of the Diocese of Knoxville in this region that I know well and love tremendously.”

Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre will continue to lead the Diocese of Knoxville as apostolic administrator until Bishop-elect Beckman’s episcopal ordination in late July.

“I have known Bishop-elect Beckman for a long time,” Archbishop Fabre said. “We were seminarians together at the Catholic University in Louvain, Belgium many years ago. I believe in my heart that he will be a good shepherd for the faithful of the Diocese of Knoxville.”

Bishop-elect Beckman was born on October 19, 1962, in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., which is located within the Diocese of Nashville. He attended Sacred Heart School and Lawrenceburg County High School and received a bachelor’s degree in history from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa in 1984. He also earned a master’s degree in religious studies from the Catholic University in Louvain, Belgium in 1988.

He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Nashville by Bishop James D. Niedergeses on July 13, 1990.  He served as associate pastor of Holy Rosary Parish, Nashville (1990-91); teacher and associate principal of Father Ryan High School, Nashville (1990-96); pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Springfield, Tenn. and St. Michael Mission, Cedar Hill, Tenn. (1996-2002); pastor of St. Matthew Parish, Frankin, Tenn. (2002-15); and pastor of St. Henry Parish, Nashville (2015-present).

Bishop-elect Beckman has also served as director of priest personnel for the Diocese of Nashville since 2018.

“While our own hearts are saddened by the departure of such a dear friend and collaborator in ministry, we are joyful for our brothers and sisters in our neighboring diocese who are receiving such a kind, faithful, and capable new shepherd,” said Bishop J. Mark Spalding of the Diocese of Nashville.

Bishop-elect Beckman is an avid hiker and said he plans to continue his passion for the outdoors while serving in the Diocese of Knoxville.

“Over the years I have made many friends in the Diocese of Nashville, and I have much gratitude for the support they’ve given me. I look forward to nurturing the same meaningful relationships with the Catholic community in East Tennessee,” Bishop-elect Beckman said. “This is a wonderful diocese, and I am thrilled to be part of its future.”

This move, you’ll remember, comes almost a year after the previous bishop, Richard Stika, resigned, following a tumultuous  period in which the diocese was subject to a Vatican investigation and multiple lawsuits.

A couple weeks ago, Nashville Catholic profiled Father Beckman, in a story that concludes:

No matter where he has served, Father Beckman said his favorite parts of his vocation have never wavered.

“To me, being able to preach the Gospel and celebrate the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist are the highlights,” he said, “but also there are profound moments of reconciliation, of anointing of the sick. I’ve grown to appreciate more and more the joy of baptism and of young couples getting married and preparing them for that.

“The pastoral care of God’s people, moments when people are seeking pastoral counsel or spiritual direction, those are also very wonderful moments,” he added.

And no matter the scenario, his hope for all whom he has served has remained the same.

“My hope is that, in the end, people know how deeply loved they are by God and that love that the Lord has for them has been able to be transformative in their lives to help them become greater lovers of God and of others,” Father Beckman said. “The ultimate work of any priest is to teach the good news of the kingdom of God, and what is the kingdom other than God’s gracious love revealed in Jesus, poured out for us in His dying and rising, and His desire that we share that life and love forever.

“If I’ve done anything to plant seeds to inspire that kind of growth in God’s people, that’s the greatest joy I could have.”

Can I hear an “Amen!”?