Youngest U.S. bishop appointed to eastern Oregon diocese

The Rev. Thomas Hennen, a longtime Iowa priest with experience in campus ministry and LGBTQ+ pastoral care, has been appointed bishop of the

Diocese of Baker, Oregon

The Vatican announced the appointment July 10, following the resignation of Bishop Liam Cary, who led the eastern Oregon diocese since 2012. Cary submitted his resignation in August 2022 upon turning 75, the age at which bishops are required by canon law to offer their resignation to the pope.

At 47, Hennen is the youngest bishop to lead a U.S. diocese, Catholic outlets reported. He currently serves as vicar general of the Diocese of Davenport and pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Iowa.

Hennen has served in several parishes in the Diocese of Davenport and has spent much of his ministry working with young people, according to a

n article by OSV News

. He was a campus minister at the Newman Catholic Student Center in Iowa City, taught theology at Assumption High School in Davenport and later served as chaplain and campus ministry director at his alma mater, St. Ambrose University.

His pastoral work with LGBTQ+ Catholics has drawn both praise and criticism. Some have

welcomed Hennen’s compassionate approach

, especially his role in creating diocesan guidelines that emphasize dignity and listening.

Others have criticized his longtime involvement

with Courage International, a group that encourages celibate chastity for people with same-sex attraction, saying it sends a harmful message.

According to

a 2021 article in The Catholic Messenger

, Hennen served on a diocesan Gender Committee to develop pastoral guidance on gender and sexual identity, guidance that was published in 2023. Hennen said his work with Courage International prompted him to raise the need for a deeper conversation around transgender issues within the diocese, The Catholic Messenger reported.

“It’s important to remember that for those who authentically experience this — however few people that may be relative to the general population — it is not something they choose,” Hennen was quoted as saying. “This idea that transgender people just out of the blue decide they want to be a different gender is mistaken.”

He called for a balanced approach that remains faithful to church teaching while showing compassion and respect.

Hennen is the third Catholic bishop in Oregon, alongside Archbishop Alexander Sample and Auxiliary Bishop Peter Smith of Portland. Hennen will lead the Diocese of Baker, serving roughly 33,000 Catholics spread across more than 66,000 square miles of predominantly rural eastern Oregon.

Sample, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Portland,

welcomed Hennen to Oregon in a statement on Thursday

“It is with great joy that I welcome the news that Bishop-elect Thomas Hennen has been appointed the new Bishop of the Diocese of Baker,” Sample said. “I am very grateful to Pope Leo for appointing this experienced and well-prepared shepherd for our neighboring diocese to the east here in the great State of Oregon. I look forward to working side by side with Bishop-elect Hennen for many years to come.”

At a July 10 press conference

at the Pastoral Center in Redmond, Hennen answered questions about his ministry with the community and expressed excitement for getting to know his new diocese.

“So the bad news is you’re getting a rookie; I have a lot to learn,” Hennen said. “The good news is you’re getting a rookie and I know that I have a lot to learn. Please teach me and be patient with me as I learn this diocese which I am already falling in love with and this new ministry. I promise to do my very best.”

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— Chiara Profenna covers religion, faith and cultural connections. Reach her at 503-221-4327;

cprofenna@oregonian.com

@chiaraprofenna

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