Diocese of St. Petersburg Has New Leader

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The Diocese of St. Petersburg officially has a new spiritual leader to step in as Bishop Robert N. Lynch prepares for retirement. Pope Francis’ appointment of the Most Reverend Bishop Gregory L. Parkes was announced Monday.

Parkes comes to St. Petersburg from the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee where he has served as bishop since 2012. Parkes is a native of Mineola, New York, who was born in 1964. He worked in the Tampa area in the banking industry before attending St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in 1993, according to the Pensacola diocese website. He became an ordained priest in 1999.

“I’m very grateful to Pope Francis for appointing me bishop of St. Petersburg,” Parkes was quoted in a media release as saying. “It has been a joy to serve as bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee for the past four and a half years. I’m going to miss the Panhandle and all those I’ve had the pleasure of meeting during my time here.”

Parkes will be installed as the new bishop of the St. Petersburg diocese in January.

Lynch was installed as the fourth bishop of the St. Petersburg diocese in January 1996, according to the diocese website. The native of West Virginia was born in 1941 and became an ordained priest in 1978.

“I am filled with joy that Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Parkes as the new bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg,” Lynch said following Monday’s appointment. “I invite the faithful of our diocese and of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee to join me in offering prayers of thanksgiving and to pray for Bishop Parkes as he transitions to shepherd the people of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.”

Parke’s installment ceremony will take place at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle in St. Petersburg on Jan. 4. A time for the ceremony has not been announced.

Photo of Bishop Gregory Parkes courtesy of the Diocese of St. Petersburg