Catholic News

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, the chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' religious liberty committee, speaks on the issue of immigration during a press conference on Nov. 11, 2025, at the USCCB's fall plenary assembly in Baltimore. / Credit: Hakim Shammo/EWTN News

Baltimore, Maryland, Nov 12, 2025 / 18:01 pm (CNA).

Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, was elected to serve as secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) at the Fall Plenary Assembly on Nov. 12.

The bishops held elections for the secretary position and the leadership of six committees on Wednesday. On Tuesday, they elected Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City as president and Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, as vice president of the conference. 

Rhoades, who previously chaired the Committee on Religious Liberty, has criticized government policies that impose mandates for abortion and contraception. This year's committee report laid out concerns with policies related to gender ideology and immigration enforcement as threats to the freedom of religious organizations.

The new chair of the Religious Liberty Commission will be Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon.

That election was tied between Sample and San Angelo, Texas, Bishop Michael Sis. Although Sis was granted the spot because the tiebreaking procedure defers to the older bishop, Sis withdrew his nomination to allow Sample to assume the role.

For the rest of the elections, the winner will serve as chair-elect for one year while the current chairs finish their terms. They will assume the positions in 2026.

Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia was elected chair-elect of the Committee on International Justice and Peace. The archeparchy serves many Ukrainian immigrants, whose home country continues to suffer amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee was elected chair-elect of the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance. Auxiliary Bishop Peter Smith of the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, was elected chair-elect of the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

The bishops also elected Bishop William Wack of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, as chair-elect of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis. They elected Bishop-elect Mark O'Connell of Albany, New York, as chair-elect of the Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People.

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