Chicago priest appointed coadjutor of the Diocese of Peoria

CHICAGO (AP) - Pope Francis announced Monday that he has named suburban Chicago priest Rev. Louis Tylka to be the coadjutor bishop of Peoria.

As coadjutor bishop, Tylka will assist current Bishop Daniel Jenky and succeed him when he retires. Jenky in March 2022 will turn 75, the age when bishops are required to submit their resignations to the pope.

Bishop-elect Tylka, a native of Harvey, was ordained to the priesthood by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago in 1996. He currently serves as pastor of St. Julie Billiart Parish in Tinley Park and as the chair of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

'œI am grateful to the Holy Father and encouraged by his confidence in me. I am looking forward to serving alongside Bishop Jenky and learning from the priests, leaders and faithful in the Church of Central Illinois,'ť Tylka said in a statement.

Tylka is expected to begin his ministry as coadjutor bishop and relocate to the Diocese of Peoria later in 2020.

The Diocese of Peoria covers 26 Illinois counties and has 160 parishes and a Catholic population of nearly 122,000.