David Bonnar

David Joseph Bonnar (born February 5, 1962) is an American bishop of the Catholic Church. He is the Bishop of Youngstown, having been appointed to the position in 2020. Before becoming a bishop, he was the editor of a magazine called The Priest and chaplain of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

His Excellency, The Most Reverend David J. Bonnar
Bishop of Youngstown
Church	Catholic Church
Diocese	Youngstown
Appointed	November 17, 2020
Installed	January 12, 2021
Predecessor	George V. Murry
Orders
Ordination	July 23, 1988
Consecration	January 12, 2021 by Dennis Marion Schnurr
Personal details
Born	February 5, 1962 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Nationality	American
Denomination	Roman Catholicism
Alma mater	Duquesne University Pontifical North American College
Motto	That All May Be One

Ordination history of David Bonnar
History Diaconal ordination Date April 14, 1988 Place St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City Priestly ordination Date July 23, 1988 Place Church of Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin, Whitehall, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Dennis Marion Schnurr Co-consecrators Paul J. Bradley David Zubik Date January 12, 2021 Place St. Columba Cathedral, Youngstown, Ohio
Source(s):[1][2]

Styles of David Bonnar
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Early life

Bonnar was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 5, 1962.[3] His father worked as a butcher, while his mother was a housewife, and he was the fourth of five children.[4] He studied at Duquesne University, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in social communications from that institution in 1984.[1][2] Starting in 1984, he attended seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.[1] He went on to obtain a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. On April 14, 1988, he was ordained to the diaconate at St. Peter's Basilica. Three months later, on July 23, 1988, he was ordained to the Catholic priesthood at the Church of Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin in Whitehall, which was his home parish.[2]

Presbyteral ministry

Bonnar's first pastoral assignment was as parochial vicar of St. Vitus Parish in New Castle. He was then transferred to St. Rosalia Parish in Greenfield four years later. He was parish vicar of St. Thomas More Parish in Bethel Park in 1996, before becoming director of vocations, rector of Saint Paul Seminary and director of the office for permanent deacons the following year.[1][5] He became a full-fledged pastor at St. Bernard Parish in Mt. Lebanon in 2009, and served there for 11 years. In July 2020, he was appointed pastor of the newly formed St. Aidan's Parish in Wexford.[1][6]

During his time as parish priest, Bonnar was known for his sociable personality and efforts to revitalize the parishes he was assigned to. A spokesman for the diocese and fellow priest noted how Bonnar "has shown himself to be a wonderful spiritual leader and a very competent administrator".[5] He went into self-quarantine at the end of March 2020, along with other priests who worked in Pittsburgh and South Hills. This was a precautionary measure after one priest in the city tested positive for COVID-19, while another developed mild symptoms after coming into contact with an individual who was infected with the disease.[7]

In addition to his duties as a parish priest, Bonnar is the editor of a magazine called The Priest, a position he took charge of in 2014.[1] He also served as the chaplain of the Pittsburgh Steelers.[2][4]

Episcopal ministry

Bonnar was appointed Bishop of Youngstown on November 17, 2020.[1][8] He received his episcopal consecration from Archbishop Dennis Marion Schnurr on January 12, 2021, at St. Columba Cathedral.[9]

See also

• Catholic Church hierarchy
• Catholic Church in the United States
• Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
• List of Catholic bishops of the United States
• Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops

References

1. "Pope Francis appoints new bishop for the diocese of Youngstown, USA". Vatican News. Holy See. November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
2. "Pope Francis Appoints Rev. David Bonnar as Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown". Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
3. "Pittsburgh priest appointed bishop of Youngstown". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
4. Brockhaus, Hannah (November 17, 2020). "Ex-chaplain to Pittsburgh Steelers named bishop of Youngstown, Ohio". EWTN. Catholic News Agency. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
5. Donovan, Sandra Fischione (August 16, 2007). "Penn Hills priest will lend support to revitalize parishes". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
6. "Pope Francis Appoints Rev. David Bonnar as Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown". Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
7. Smith, Peter (March 29, 2020). "Pittsburgh priest tests positive for COVID-19". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
8. Pecchia, Matthew (November 17, 2020). "Reverend David J. Bonnar Named as Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown". Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
9. Smith, Peter (January 12, 2021). "Rev. David Bonnar, a longtime Pittsburgh priest, becomes bishop of Youngstown". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 14, 2021.

External links

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown Official Website
• Biography on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh website