J. Peter Sartain

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His Excellency, The Most Reverend

James Peter Sartain
Archbishop Emeritus of Seattle
Archbishop Sartain in 2012
ArchdioceseSeattle
AppointedSeptember 16, 2010
InstalledDecember 1, 2010
RetiredSeptember 3, 2019
PredecessorAlexander Joseph Brunett
SuccessorPaul D. Etienne
Orders
OrdinationJuly 15, 1978
by Carroll Thomas Dozier
ConsecrationMarch 6, 2000
by Eusebius J. Beltran, J. Terry Steib, and Andrew Joseph McDonald
Personal details
Born (1952-06-06) June 6, 1952 (age 71)
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
DenominationRoman Catholic Church
Previous post(s)
MottoOf you my heart has spoken
Styles of
James Peter Sartain
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleArchbishop
Ordination history of
J. Peter Sartain
History
Episcopal consecration
Consecrated byEusebius J. Beltran
DateMarch 6, 2000
Episcopal succession
Bishops consecrated by J. Peter Sartain as principal consecrator
Joseph M. SiegelJanuary 19, 2010
Daniel Henry MueggenborgMay 31, 2017

James Peter Sartain (born June 6, 1952), better known as Peter Sartain, is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the fifth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle in Washington State from 2010 to 2019.

Sartain previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock in Arkansas (2000 to 2006) and as bishop of the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois (2006 to 2010).

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

Peter Sartain was born on June 6, 1952, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Joseph Martin ("Pete") and Catherine (née Poole) Sartain.[1] He is the youngest of five children as well as the only boy.[2] His father served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater during World War II.[3] Raised in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis, Peter Sartain received his early education at the parochial school of St. Paul the Apostle Parish, and graduated from Bishop Byrne High School in Memphis in 1970.[1]

Sartain studied chemistry at Memphis State University for one year before transferring to St. Meinrad College in St. Meinrad, Indiana, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1974.[3] Sartain then went to Rome to study at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, receiving a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1977.[4]

Priesthood[edit]

On July 15, 1978, Sartain was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Memphis by Bishop Carroll Dozier at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Memphis.[5] Returning to his studies in Rome, Sartain was in St. Peter's Square when the newly elected Pope John Paul II emerged from the papal conclave of October 1978.[6] Sartain earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology, with a specialization in sacramental theology, from the Pontifical University of St. Anselmo in 1979.[4]

After returning to Memphis, Sartain was appointed as associate pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, where he remained for two years.[2] He then served as director of vocations, as chancellor, as moderator of the curia, as vicar for clergy, as a high school chaplain, and as a judge with the diocesan marriage tribunal.[4] From 1992 to 2000, he served as pastor of St. Louis Parish in Memphis and vicar general of the diocese.[1] Sartain served as diocesan administrator (1992–93) after Bishop Daniel M. Buechlein was named to head the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.[4]

Bishop of Little Rock[edit]

On January 4, 2000, Sartain was appointed the sixth bishop of Little Rock by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on March 6, 2000, from Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran, with Bishops J. Terry Steib and Andrew Joseph McDonald serving as co-consecrators.[5] Sartain was the first priest of the Diocese of Memphis to become a bishop.[7] He selected as his episcopal motto: "Of You My Heart Has Spoken" Psalms 27:8.[4]

Due to the increasing Hispanic population in Arkansas, Sartain took a course in Spanish in San Antonio, Texas, in 2001, and established Hispanic ministries throughout the state. He also ordained Arkansas's first Mexican-born priest and deacon.[8] He worked to increase vocations; the diocese had ten seminarians and no ordinations in 2000, but fifteen seminarians and two ordinations in 2005.[2] In 2005, Sartain led more than 5,000 Catholics in a bilingual eucharistic congress. During his tenure, the Catholic population in Arkansas rose from 90,600 to over 107,000.[8]

Bishop of Joliet[edit]

On May 16, 2006, Sartain was appointed as bishop of Joliet by Pope Benedict XVI. He was installed on June 27, 2006, in the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet.[9]

Sartain faced scrutiny while bishop of Joliet due to his handling of the sexual abuse crisis. During his ordination as archbishop of Seattle, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) organized a protest against Sartain's installation. The protest originated from Sartain's decision as bishop of Joliet to ordain Alejandro Flores in 2009, even though diocesan officials had raised concerns over Flores' viewing of male pornography. Shortly after his ordination, Flores was convicted of sexually abusing a boy and sentenced to four years in prison in 2010. SNAP said that Sartain's decision to ordain Flores and other such individuals showed that should not be entrusted as bishop. In response, Sartain claims that he reported priests such as Flores as soon as he heard about abuse.[10]

Archbishop of Seattle[edit]

On September 16, 2010, Sartain was appointed as archbishop of Seattle by Benedict XVI, succeeding Archbishop Alexander Brunett. Sartain was installed on December 1, 2010 in St. James Cathedral in Seattle.[5] On November 15, 2011, Sartain was elected secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); he began a three-year term in November 2012. His position also made him chair of the USCCB Committee on Priorities and Plans.[11]

On April 18, 2012, the Vatican announced the appointment of Sartain to oversee a review of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, a prominent umbrella group for nuns in the United States. It involved reviewing and changing the group's laws, programs and practices to correct practices that were allegedly "incompatible with the Catholic faith."[12]

Holy Rosary Church, Tacoma, Washington

On June 7, 2019, Sartain installed Paul D. Etienne, then Archbishop of Anchorage, as coadjutor archbishop for the archdiocese. On August 24, 2019, Sartain ordered the demolition of Holy Rosary Church in Tacoma, Washington,[13][14][15] a building that has been on the City of Tacoma's Register of Tacoma Places since 1975.[16] As of 2023, Holy Rosary Church is still standing.

Retirement and legacy[edit]

Pope Francis accepted Sartain's resignation as archbishop of Seattle on September 3, 2019.[17][18] He was reported to be in poor health, which prompted the pope to accept his early retirement.[19]

Viewpoints[edit]

In April 2012, Sartain urged parishes in the archdiocese to collect signatures to place Referendum 74 on the November ballot. The referendum sought to repeal the State of Washington's newly enacted same-sex marriage statute. Sartain made this statement:

"The word 'marriage' isn't simply a label that can be attached to different types of relationships, Instead, 'marriage' reflects a deep reality – the reality of the unique, fruitful, lifelong union that is only possible between a man and a woman. There is nothing else like it, and it can't be defined or made into something that it isn't...Marriage can only be between a man and a woman because of its unique ends, purpose and place in society."[20]

In the referendum, the voters rejected the appeal of the statute.[21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Ramirez, Margaret; Dardick, Hal (May 17, 2006). "BISHOP J. PETER SARTAIN: New bishop is eager to lift spirits". Chicago Tribune.
  2. ^ a b c "J. Peter Sartain". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture.
  3. ^ a b Beattie, Trent (November 8, 2010). "Faith in the Northwest". National Catholic Register.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Archbishop J. Peter Sartain Biography". Archdiocese of Seattle. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c Banos, Eduardo (April 14, 2023). "Archbishop Emeritus James Peter Sartain". Archdiocese of San Francisco. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  6. ^ McGuire, Terry (December 11, 2010). "An interview with Archbishop J. Peter Sartain". Arkansas Catholic.
  7. ^ "Pope Benedict XVI names Bishop Sartain to diocese in Joliet, Ill". Arkansas Catholic. May 20, 2006. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Archbishop J. Peter Sartain | DOLR.org". Catholic Diocese of Little Rock. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  9. ^ "Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet, IL". Archived from the original on March 29, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  10. ^ Martinez, Michael (December 2, 2010). "Protesters criticize new Catholic archbishop of Seattle". CNN. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  11. ^ "Archbishop Sartain of Seattle to become USCCB secretary in 2012". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on November 17, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  12. ^ Gibson, David (April 18, 2012). "Vatican orders crackdown on US nun association". Religion News Service. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  13. ^ "Holy Rosary Catholic Church, a Tacoma landmark, to be demolished". Seattle Times. August 25, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  14. ^ Horne, Deborah (August 25, 2019). "Archdiocese orders Pierce County church be razed". Kiro 7 News Seattle. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  15. ^ Sailor, Craig (August 24, 2019). "Tacoma landmark Holy Rosary will be demolished by Catholic church". News Tribune. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  16. ^ "Tacoma Register of Historic Places" (PDF). City of Tacoma. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  17. ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 03.09.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  18. ^ Birnbaum, Kevin (September 3, 2019). "Archbishop Etienne succeeds Archbishop Sartain as archbishop of Seattle". Northwest Catholic. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  19. ^ Brockhaus, Hannah (September 3, 2019). "Pope Francis accepts resignation of Sartain of Seattle, to be succeeded by coadjutor Etienne". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  20. ^ J. Peter, Sartain. "Bishop's Referendum 74 Letter" (PDF). Cathedral of Seattle. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  21. ^ Official Press Release (December 5, 2012). "Gov. Gregoire and Secretary Reed certify Referendum 74". Governor of Washington. Archived from the original on January 8, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2012.

External links[edit]

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Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Archbishop of Seattle
2010–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Bishop of Joliet
2006–2010 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Bishop of Little Rock
2000–2006 		Succeeded by
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