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The Diocese of Jefferson City is currently awaiting the naming of our next bishop following the installation of the Most Reverend Shawn McKnight as Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas.

Msgr. Robert A. Kurwicki has been elected to serve as the administrator of the Diocese of Jefferson City. He is the first to hold the title of administrator in the 70-year history of our local Church.

The election was held by ballot at the rectory of the Cathedral of Saint Joseph with the eight priests of the diocesan College of Consultors participating. It follows the installation of the Most Reverend Shawn McKnight as Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas on May 27, 2025. Archbishop McKnight’s leadership of the Diocese of Jefferson City, which began in 2018, ceased when he assumed his new role in Kansas. 

As administrator, Msgr. Kurwicki is charged with maintaining the essential operations of the diocese. According to Canon Law, a diocesan administrator may not enact major changes or initiatives, as those responsibilities are reserved for the next bishop, who will be appointed by Pope Leo XIV. 

Msgr. Kurwicki, 65, was ordained a priest in 1985 at our Cathedral of Saint Joseph. He currently serves as pastor of St. Peter Parish in Jefferson City and was Vicar General under the previous Bishop. He resides at the St. Peter rectory in Jefferson City.

“I humbly accept the responsibility of serving as diocesan administrator of the Diocese of Jefferson City,” said Msgr. Kurwicki. “I thank the College of Consultors for their trust, and I ask for your prayers as we work together in the coming months and prepare for the appointment of the next Bishop of Jefferson City.”

Msgr. Kurwicki will continue his role as pastor of St. Peter while fulfilling the duties of diocesan administrator. His appointment will conclude upon the installation of the new bishop.

There is no official timeline for the selection of a new bishop. Once Pope Leo XIV has appointed a new bishop to lead the Diocese of Jefferson City, and he has accepted, the announcement will be published in the daily Vatican Bulletin. This could happen at any time. However, in recent similar situations in the United States, it has taken several months to a year for a new bishop to be named.

"For a greater respect for the dignity of each and every human life in all public policies." 

Message from Bishop McKnight

Stewardship - Growing our Faith

“The fact we are Catholic is not only manifested in the beauty of our churches; it is in our daily living as generous stewards. I invite you to consider the ways in which you make room for God in your life through your personal, ongoing faith formation; by your active charitable works; and by personal prayer and active participation in Mass.

Be not afraid to give yourself to Christ by being a generous steward. You will not regret it.”

—Bishop W. Shawn McKnight

Last winter, Bishop McKnight requested all parishes to discern their own plans for carrying out the Church’s vision for parish life within their geographic territory. The bishop and his advisors gave a timeline and process for praying, discussing, and assessing each parish’s strengths and weaknesses in the areas of:

· Cultivating a spirituality rooted in the Catholic understanding of stewardship;

· Promoting effective co-responsibility among ordained ministers and the laity; and

· Helping every parish become universally recognized as a center of charity and a sanctuary of mercy within the larger community.

Pastors and lay leaders turned parishioners’ suggestions into doable, measurable objectives for carrying out the three goals over the next three years.

The diocesan staff received parish pastoral plans from 70 parishes.

Throughout the summer, a group comprised of Diocesan Pastoral Council member Rick Nichols; LeAnn Korsmeyer, Diocesan Director of Parish and Charitable Services; Father Jason Doke, Moderator of the Curia; Father Stephen Jones, Director of Stewardship, and Bishop McKnight reviewed and tabulated each of the plans.

Teens took part in online gatherings to give additional input.

Members of the Diocesan Pastoral Council met in August to ascertain themes and patterns among all of the parish plans. Their observations formed the basis for a working document presented at a September assembly of lay representatives throughout the Diocese.

Participants discussed the working document in small groups — specifically, the aspects that ignite their passion, items that need clarification, and any concerns.

Their insights figured into creating a revised working document of the diocesan plan.

Bishop McKnight consulted with the priests of the diocese during their annual Fall Institute before casting a final draft. He said the plan will shape how the diocese “coordinates and leverages its resources over the next three years, to assist the parishes in fulfilling their own goals and their own activities to which they are holding themselves accountable.”