J. Peter Sartain

James Peter Sartain (born June 6, 1952), better known as Peter Sartain, is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the fifth Archbishop of Seattle from 2010 to 2019. He previously served as Bishop of Little Rock (2000–06) and Bishop of Joliet (2006–10).

His Excellency, The Most Reverend James Peter Sartain
Archbishop Emeritus of Seattle
J. Peter Sartain in 2012
Archdiocese	Seattle
Appointed	September 16, 2010
Installed	December 1, 2010
Term ended	September 3, 2019
Predecessor	Alexander Joseph Brunett
Successor	Paul D. Etienne
Orders
Ordination	July 15, 1978 by Carroll Thomas Dozier
Consecration	March 6, 2000 by Eusebius J. Beltran, J. Terry Steib, and Andrew Joseph McDonald
Personal details
Born	June 6, 1952 Memphis, Tennessee
Denomination	Catholic Church
Previous post	Bishop of Little Rock (2000–06) Bishop of Joliet in Illinois (2006–10)
Motto	OF YOU MY HEART HAS SPOKEN

Styles of James Peter Sartain
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Archbishop

Ordination history of J. Peter Sartain
History Episcopal consecration Consecrated by Eusebius J. Beltran Date March 6, 2000
Episcopal succession Bishops consecrated by J. Peter Sartain as principal consecrator Joseph M. Siegel January 19, 2010 Daniel Henry Mueggenborg May 31, 2017

Early life and education

J. Peter Sartain was born 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 Ocean during World War II.[3] Raised in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis, he received his early education at the parochial school of St. Paul the Apostle Church, and graduated from Bishop Byrne High School in 1970.[1]

Sartain studied chemistry at Memphis State University for one year before transferring to St. Meinrad College in Indiana, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1974.[3] Sartain is an alumnus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas Angelicum in Rome, where he earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1977.[4]

Priest

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

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

Bishop

Bishop of Little Rock

On January 4, 2000, Sartain was appointed the sixth Bishop of Little Rock, Arkansas, by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following March 6 from Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran, with Bishops J. Terry Steib and Andrew Joseph McDonald serving as co-consecrators. He was the first priest of the Diocese of Memphis to become a bishop.[6] 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.[7] He also ordained Arkansas's first Mexican-born priest and deacon.[7] 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, he 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.[7]

Bishop of Joliet

On May 16, 2006, Sartain was appointed as bishop of the Diocese of Joliet. He was installed on June 27, 2006, in the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus[8]

Sartain faced some 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 becoming priest Flores was convicted of sexually abusing a boy and sentenced to four years in prison in 2010. SNAP said that Sartain's decision in ordaining Flores and other individuals showed that Sartain should be entrusted in the role of a bishop, although Sartain claims that he reported priest such as Flores as soon as he heard about the abuse.[9]

Archbishop of Seattle

On September 16, 2010, he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle, succeeding Archbishop Alexander Joseph Brunett. He was installed as Archbishop on December 1, 2010 in St. James Cathedral in Seattle.

On November 15, 2011, Sartain was elected Secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); he begins a three-year term in November 2012. His position also makes him chairman of the USCCB Committee on Priorities and Plans.[10]

In April 2012, Sartain urged parishes in the Seattle archdiocese to collect signatures to place Referendum 74 on the November ballot. The referendum sought to repeal Washington state's newly enacted same-sex marriage statute. "The word 'marriage' isn't simply a label that can be attached to different types of relationships," Sartain wrote. "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."[11]

On April 18, 2012, the Vatican announced the appointment of Archbishop 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 are "incompatible with the Catholic faith."[12]

Holy Rosary Parish Church, Tacoma, Washington, awaiting demolition in 2020.

On June 7, 2019, Sartain installed Paul D. Etienne, then Archbishop of Anchorage, as coadjutor archbishop.

On August 24, 2019, Sartain issued a decree to demolish 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] It had become too dangerous to occupy, and estimates for its repair were at $18 million.

Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Archbishop of Seattle on September 3, 2019.[17] The Archdiocese of Seattle, relaying a message from US nuncio Christophe Pierre, said that Coadjutor Archbishop Paul D. Eitenne automatically succeeded Sartain as Archbishop after his resignation was accepted.[18][19] Sartain is also reported to be in poor health, which resulted in Pope Francis accepting his resignation.[20]

References

1. Ramirez, Margaret (May 17, 2006). "BISHOP J. PETER SARTAIN: New bishop is eager to lift spirits". Chicago Tribune.
2. "J. Peter Sartain". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture.
3. Beattie, Trent (November 8, 2010). "Faith in the Northwest". National Catholic Register.
4. "Archbishop J. Peter Sartain Biography". Archdiocese of Seattle.
5. McGuire, Terry (December 11, 2010). "An interview with Archbishop J. Peter Sartain". Arkansas Catholic.
6. "Pope Benedict XVI names Bishop Sartain to diocese in Joliet, Ill". Arkansas Catholic.
7. "Most Rev. James Peter Sartain". Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
8. "Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet, IL". Archived from the original on March 29, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
9. Martinez, Michael (December 2, 2010). "Protesters criticize new Catholic archbishop of Seattle". CNN. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
10. "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.
11. J. Peter, Sartain. "Bishop's Referendum 74 Letter" (PDF). Cathedral of Seattle. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
12. Gibson, David. "Vatican orders crackdown on US nun association". Religion News Service. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
13. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/holy-rosary-catholic-church-a-tacoma-landmark-to-be-demolished/#comments
14. https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article234320667.html
15. https://www.kiro7.com/news/south-sound-news/holy-rosary-church-in-tacoma-to-be-demolished/979167536
16. https://cms.cityoftacoma.org/planning/historic-preservation/landmarks/publications-landmarks-register.pdf
17. "Resignations and Appointments, 03.09.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
18. http://www.nwcatholic.org/news/local/archbishop-etienne-succeeds-archbishop-sartain-as-archbishop-of-seattle.html
19. https://cruxnow.com/cns/2019/09/03/archbishop-etienne-succeeds-archbishop-sartain-in-seattle/
20. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-accepts-resignation-of-sartain-of-seattle-for-medical-reasons-82611

External links

• Catholic Hierarchy: Archbishop James Peter Sartain
• Archdiocese of Seattle