David Bonnar

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type =

| honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend

| name = David J. Bonnar

| title = Bishop of Youngstown

| image =

| imagesize =

| alt =

| caption =

| church = Catholic Church

| archdiocese =

| province =

| metropolis =

| diocese = Youngstown

| see =

| appointed = November 17, 2020

| enthroned = January 12, 2021

| ended =

| predecessor = George V. Murry

| opposed =

| successor =

| other_post =

| ordination = July 23, 1988

| ordained_by = Donald Wuerl

| consecration = January 12, 2021

| consecrated_by = Dennis Marion Schnurr

| cardinal =

| created_cardinal_by =

| rank =

| previous_post =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|2|5}}

| birth_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

| death_date =

| death_place =

| buried =

| nationality = American

| religion = Roman Catholicism

| residence =

| parents =

| alma_mater = Duquesne University
Pontifical North American College

| signature =

| coat_of_arms = Coat of arms of David Joseph Bonnar.svg

| motto = That all may be one

}}

{{Ordination

| denomination = Roman Catholic

| ordained deacon by =

| date of diaconal ordination = April 14, 1988

| place of diaconal ordination = St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

| ordained priest by =

| date of priestly ordination = July 23, 1988

| place of priestly ordination = Church of Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin, Whitehall, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

| consecrated by = Dennis Marion Schnurr

| co-consecrators = Paul J. Bradley
David Zubik

| date of consecration = January 12, 2021

| place of consecration = St. Columba Cathedral, Youngstown, Ohio

| elevated by =

| date of elevation =

| sources = {{cite news|title=Pope Francis appoints new bishop for the diocese of Youngstown, USA|url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-11/pope-francis-appoints-new-bishop-for-the-diocese-of-youngstown.print.html|date=November 17, 2020|accessdate=November 17, 2020|work=Vatican News|publisher=Holy See}}{{cite news|title=Pope Francis Appoints Rev. David Bonnar as Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown|url=https://diopitt.org/news/pope-francis-appoints-rev-david-bonnar-as-sixth-bishop-of-the-diocese-of-youngstown|date=November 17, 2020|accessdate=November 17, 2020|publisher=Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh}}

}}

David Joseph Bonnar (born February 5, 1962) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Youngstown since 2020. He was previously editor of The Priest magazine and chaplain of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Early life

Bonnar was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 5, 1962.{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Peter |date=November 17, 2020 |title=Pittsburgh priest appointed bishop of Youngstown |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/news/faith-religion/2020/11/17/Pittsburgh-priest-appointed-bishop-of-Youngstown-David-Bonnar/stories/202011170107 |access-date=November 17, 2020 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}} His father worked as a butcher, while his mother was a housewife; he was the fourth of five children.{{cite news|title=Ex-chaplain to Pittsburgh Steelers named bishop of Youngstown, Ohio|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/46611/ex-chaplain-to-pittsburgh-steelers-named-bishop-of-youngstown-ohio|first=Hannah|last=Brockhaus|date=November 17, 2020|access-date=November 17, 2020|agency=Catholic News Agency|publisher=EWTN}} He studied at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in social communications in 1984. Starting in 1984, he attended seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He went on to obtain a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. On April 14, 1988, Bonnar was ordained to the diaconate at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Three months later, on July 23, 1988, he was ordained to the Catholic priesthood at the Church of Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin in Whitehall, which was his home parish.

Priestly ministry

Bonnar's first pastoral assignment was as parochial vicar of St. Vitus Parish in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He was then transferred to St. Rosalia Parish in Greenfield, Pennsylvania, four years later. He served as parish vicar of St. Thomas More Parish in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, in 1996, before becoming director of vocations, rector of Saint Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh and director of the office for permanent deacons the following year.{{cite news|title=Penn Hills priest will lend support to revitalize parishes|url=https://archive.triblive.com/news/penn-hills-priest-will-lend-support-to-revitalize-parishes/|first=Sandra Fischione|last=Donovan|date=August 16, 2007|accessdate=November 17, 2020|newspaper=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review}} He was appointed as pastor at St. Bernard Parish in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, in 2009, serving there for 11 years. In July 2020, he was appointed the founding pastor of the new St. Aidan Parish in Wexford, Pennsylvania.{{Cite web|title=Pope Francis Appoints Rev. David Bonnar as Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown|url=https://diopitt.org/news/pope-francis-appoints-rev-david-bonnar-as-sixth-bishop-of-the-diocese-of-youngstown|access-date=November 17, 2020|website=Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh|language=en}}

A spokesman for the diocese and fellow priest noted in 2020 how Bonnar "has shown himself to be a wonderful spiritual leader and a very competent administrator". Bonnar went into self-quarantine at the end of March 2020. This was a precautionary measure after one priest in Pittsburgh tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, while another developed mild symptoms.{{cite news|title=Pittsburgh priest tests positive for COVID-19|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/news/faith-religion/2020/03/29/Pittsburgh-Catholic-priest-father-adam-potter-tests-positive-COVID-19-coronavirus/stories/202003290133|first=Peter|last=Smith|date=March 29, 2020|accessdate=November 17, 2020|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}} In addition to his duties as a parish priest, Bonnar served as the editor of The Priest magazine, a position he took in 2014. He also worked as the chaplain of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team.

Episcopal ministry

Bonnar was appointed Bishop of Youngstown on November 17, 2020.{{cite news|title=Reverend David J. Bonnar Named as Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown|url=https://doy.org/reverend-david-j-bonnar-named-as-bishop-of-the-diocese-of-youngstown/|first=Matthew|last=Pecchia|date=November 17, 2020|accessdate=November 17, 2020|publisher=Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown}} He received his episcopal consecration from Dennis Schnurr on January 12, 2021, at St. Columba Cathedral in Youngstown.{{cite news | work = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | access-date = January 14, 2021 | url = https://www.post-gazette.com/news/faith-religion/2021/01/12/Father-David-Bonnar-bishop-Youngstown-former-Pittsburgh-priest/stories/202101120168 | date = January 12, 2021 | title = Rev. David Bonnar, a longtime Pittsburgh priest, becomes bishop of Youngstown | first = Peter | last = Smith }}

References

External links

[http://www.doy.org/ Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown Official Website]
[https://diopitt.org/people/rev-david-bonnar Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130080458/https://diopitt.org/people/rev-david-bonnar |date=November 30, 2020 }} on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh website