Pope Leo XIV names Benedictine monk as bishop of Belleville Diocese in Illinois –

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Benedictine Father Godfrey Mullen as bishop of Belleville, Ill. The appointment was announced by the Vatican March 13, 2026, Bishop-designate Mullen is pictured in an undated photo. (OSV News photo/Facebook, Diocese of Belleville)

By Courtney Mares, OSV News

Editor’s Note: The Message Staff contributed to this report.

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV has named Father Godfrey Mullen, a Benedictine monk, as the new bishop of Belleville, Illinois.

The Vatican announced the appointment of Bishop-elect Mullen March 13. The see of the Diocese of Belleville has been vacant since its former bishop, now-Archbishop Michael G. McGovern, was installed as archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska, in May 2025.

Bishop-elect Mullen, 60, is a monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana and current administrator of the Diocese of Belleville.

Before returning to his home diocese in 2022, Bishop-elect Mullen served the Diocese of Evansville for 10 years, with nine of those years as rector of St. Benedict Cathedral,

Bishop Joseph M. Siegel and the people of the Diocese of Evansville offer their heartfelt congratulations and prayerful best wishes to Bishop-elect Godfrey Mullen, former rector of St. Benedict Cathedral, on his appointment by Pope Leo XIV to shepherd the Diocese of Belleville.

“We pray that the Lord will richly bless him and his ministry in that local Church,” Bishop Siegel said.

During his time with the Diocese of Evansville, Bishop-elect Mullen served as rector of St. Benedict Cathedral for nine years. He also served as pastor of St. Mary Church in Huntingburg; priest delegate to Reitz Memorial High School; Dean of the South Deanery; administrator of St. Clement Parish in Boonville; and administrator, Pro Tempore of Resurrection Parish in Evansville.

A native of Illinois, Bishop-designate Mullen holds a doctorate in liturgical studies from The Catholic University of America in Washington.

The Diocese of Belleville was established in 1887 and has a total population of 860,000 people, 70,000 of whom are Catholic.