Martin John Amos

For the British novelist, see Martin Amis

Martin John Amos (born December 8, 1941) is a bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States.He served as an auxiliary bishop of Cleveland, Ohio, from 2001 to 2006, and then served as the eighth bishop of Davenport, Iowa from 2006 to 2017.

Early life and ministry

Martin John Amos was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the oldest of six children born to Martin and Mary Amos. He grew up in a working-class neighborhood on the west side of Cleveland, attending Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. Amos was educated at Benjamin Franklin elementary school, James Ford Rhodes High School, Borromeo Seminary College in Wickliffe, Ohio and St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland. He holds a Master of Science in Education degree. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland on May 25, 1968, by Bishop Clarence George Issenmann. He held several pastoral assignments after ordination, and later became academic dean of Borromeo Seminary High School.

Amos was serving as pastor of St. Dominic Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio when Pope John Paul II named him Titular Bishop of Meta and Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland on April 3, 2001. He was ordained by Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of Cleveland on June 7, 2001, in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. The principal co-consecrators were Cleveland Auxiliary Bishops Alexander J. Quinn and Anthony E. Pevec.

Bishop of Davenport

On October 12, 2006, Bishop Amos was appointed the eighth Bishop of Davenport by Pope Benedict XVI. Amos was formally installed by Archbishop Jerome Hanus, OSB of Dubuque on November 20, 2006 in the presence of Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. The liturgy was held at St. John Vianney Church in Bettendorf.

Since taking office, Amos has had to deal with the fallout from the sexual abuse scandal that had engulfed the church. Two days before he assumed office, the Diocese of Davenport filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As a result of the bankruptcy, the diocese was forced to sell off property, including the bishop's residence, to pay for a financial settlement to abuse victims. They sold the chancery building, St. Vincent Center, and the surrounding property to St. Ambrose University in May 2009. In March 2010, the diocese bought back the center, which also houses diocesan priests, and five acres of land. A $22 million capital campaign was also initiated in 2009 to replenish diocesan finances and to provide the finances for other projects.

On July 1, 2010, the diocese re-established Catholic Charities. The organization was initially introduced into the diocese in 1929 by Bishop Henry Rohlman and discontinued when St. Vincent's Home in Davenport was closed in 1968 and its services were absorbed by other local social service agencies. The latest incarnation of Catholic Charities enhances the social justice ministry of the diocese that is already in place, including immigration, disaster response, health ministry, and jail ministry. Collaboration with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Peoria provides mental health counseling services.

In May 2012 Amos became involved in a controversy when he rescinded an invitation to a representative of the Rich Eychaner Charitable Foundation to present a scholarship awarded to Keaton Fuller, a student at the Prince of Peace Catholic School in Clinton. The Eychander foundation promotes anti-bullying legislation and seeks to promote tolerance and non-discrimination for gay youth.A compromise was worked out whereby a representative from the foundation would give a statue to Fuller and a diocesan representative would deliver a pre-approved statement from the foundation.

On April 19, 2017 Pope Francis accepted Bishop Amos' resignation and named Monsignor Thomas Zinkula, a priest of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, to be the ninth bishop of the diocese.