This afternoon, Monsignor John J. McDermott ‘85 was ordained and installed as the Bishop of the Burlington Diocese. The very first Belmont Abbey College graduate appointed to the episcopate, Bishop McDermott will serve and steward the life of the Church throughout the entire state of Vermont, across 125 parishes.
After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from the Abbey, Bishop McDermott pursued his Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. Since his ordination to the priesthood in 1989, he has served as parochial vicar or pastor in seven different parishes of the Burlington Diocese, Chaplain to Rice Memorial Catholic High School and to Middlebury College, and Associate Director of the Catholic Center at the University of Vermont. After earning his Licentiate in Canon Law at the Catholic University of America, Bishop McDermott became Chancellor of the Diocese, within which role he has served in various additional capacities, including Moderator of the Curia, Vicar General of the Diocese, and Defender of the Bond and Promoter of Justice in the Diocesan Tribunal.
When asked about his priorities in this new position, Bishop McDermott said, “As a bishop I am charged with the proclamation of the Gospel, or putting it another way, sharing Jesus Christ with the people of Vermont. Everything else flows from this, pastorally, liturgically, educationally. So, I’d say my top priority is to make Christ known, and then work in all areas of diocesan life to achieve this.” Click here to read more of Bishop McDermott’s thoughts.
The entire Belmont Abbey community wishes to congratulate Bishop McDermott and to thank him for his years of faithful service to the Church. May God bless this new, vocational unfolding in a life so deeply ingrained with the Benedictine hallmarks and so generous in its sacrificial love.
