By TSD Newsroom
With the Catholic Diocese of Memphis in need of a new bishop and Pope Francis’ confidence in the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC., the Most Reverend Martin David Holley has been appointed to succeed Bishop J. Terry Steib.
Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, announced Holley’s appointment as the fifth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis today in Washington. Bishop Steib submitted his letter of resignation in May 2015.
“I am deeply humbled in my appointment as the Fifth Bishop of Memphis by His Holiness, Pope Francis and I thank him for expressing his confidence in me through this new assignment at this time in my life,” said Holley, who has served as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC since July 2, 2004.
“I eagerly look forward to meeting the priest, deacons, religious, seminarians and faithful laity of the Memphis Diocese in the next several months. I want to express my deepest gratitude and thanks to my predecessor Bishop J. Terry Steib for his warm and generous welcome of me to the Diocese of Memphis, and I laud him for his incredible Episcopal ministry for over 23 years. I look forward to his continued presence as a blessing in our diocese for many more years.”
The installation ceremony for Bishop Holley will be held at the Cook Convention Center on October 19 at 2 p.m.
Bishop Steib’s legacy of activity as the fourth bishop of the local diocese began with his installation on May 5, 1993.
“It has been a blessing for me to serve the people of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee. Following our mission to proclaim the Good News spiritually, educationally and socially, we have expanded the role of the Church in its evangelization efforts, said Steib. “We have praised and worshiped our God together; we have made education in the faith a priority for our children and adults; we have been good Samaritans in the ‘Land between the Rivers’ in our service to the less fortunate among us.
“It has been such a blessing to see the miracles happening and the blessings received. I pray the people of this diocese will continue in their spiritual journey saying, ‘God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.’”
Bishop Designate Holley was born on Dec. 31, 1954 in Pensacola, Fla. He is one of 14 children born to Sylvester Thomas Sr., and Mary Elizabeth Holley. While attending Tate High School he was recognized for his talent in basketball and was entered into the school’s Hall of Fame.
He earned an associate degree from Faulkner State Junior College and, after entering Alabama State University, he earned a Bachelor of Science in management in 1977. He attended the Theological College in Washington DC, then completed a Master of Divinity from St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach, Fla. in 1987.
He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee on May 8, 1987. He served as associate pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Fort Walton Beach and St. Paul Catholic Church in Pensacola and as pastor of Little Flower Catholic Church in Pensacola.
Bishop Designate Holley has held a variety of leadership positions in the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, including serving as the Vicar General. He has been a member of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus since 1983. For the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he has served on several committees including: Cultural Diversity, Communications, Pro-Life.
He has also served on the following subcommittees: Africa; African-American Catholics; Bishop’s Ministry and Life; Laity, Women, Children and Youth; and Migration. He has been on the Boards of Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington. He is the immediate past Chaplain of the Knights of St. Peter Claver.
