Robert Daniel Conlon

Robert Daniel Conlon (born December 4, 1948) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who serves as Bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois.
From August 6, 2002 until May 17, 2011 Bishop Conlon served as Bishop of the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio. As the current Bishop of Joliet, Conlon succeeds Archbishop James Peter Sartain who in September 2010 was appointed Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington.

Early life and education

Robert Conlon was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, as the eldest of the six children of Robert and Carla (née Holzman) Conlon. He attended St. Mary Church in Hyde Park as a child, and received the diaconate on March 9, 1974. Conlon obtained his Master's in Divinity from the Athenaeum of Ohio in 1975,

Ordination and ministry

Conlon served as a deacon at St. Agnes Church in Cincinnati, where he was ordained to the priesthood on January 15, 1977. He then served as associate pastor at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Cincinnati until July 1982.

From 1981 to 1983, Conlon worked within the archdiocesan curia of Cincinnati, as director of the Office of Planning and Research and assistant chancellor. He then furthered his studies at St. Paul University in Ottawa, from where he earned his doctorate in canon law and in philosophy in January 1987. Upon his return to the United States, Conlon was made chancellor for Cincinnati and director of its Department of Executive Services. He later became pastor of Holy Redeemer Church in New Bremen on August 6, 1996.

Bishop of Steubenville, Ohio

On May 31, 2002, Conlon was consecrated as bishop with Bishops Gilbert Sheldon and Sydney Charles serving as co-consecrators. Conlon took as his episcopal motto: "Take Courage" (Daniel 10:19, John 16:33).

In 2005, the bishop led a group of volunteers to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina, after hearing Archbishop Alfred Hughes speak about the devastation that Katrina caused in his Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he is currently the chair of the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People.

Bishop of Joliet, Illinois

On May 17, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI named Bishop Conlon the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Joliet. On July 14, 2011, Bishop Conlon was installed as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Joliet at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet.