Pope names bishops for Des Moines, Little Rock

WASHINGTON – Pope Benedict XVI appointed Auxiliary Bishop Richard E. Pates of St. Paul and Minneapolis to head the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa, and Father Anthony B. Taylor, a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, as bishop of Little Rock, Ark., April 10.

He also named Father Oscar Cantu, pastor of Holy Name Church in Houston, as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio; Monsignor James D. Conley, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church in Wichita, Kan., as auxiliary bishop of Denver; and Father William J. Justice, San Francisco archdiocesan vicar for clergy, as auxiliary bishop of San Francisco.

The appointments were announced in Washington by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.