James S. Wall

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type = Bishop

| honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend

| name = James Sean Wall

| honorific-suffix =

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| title = Bishop of Gallup

| image = James S. Wall (42738777421) (cropped).jpg

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| caption = Bishop Wall in 2018

| church = Roman Catholic Church

| archdiocese = Santa Fe

| province =

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| diocese = Gallup

| see =

| elected =

| appointed = February 5, 2009

| enthroned = April 23, 2009

| predecessor = Donald Edmond Pelotte

| successor =

| other_post =

| ordination = June 6, 1998

| ordained_by = Thomas J. O'Brien

| consecration = April 23, 2009

| consecrated_by = Michael Sheehan, Thomas Olmsted, and Edward William Clark

| cardinal =

| rank =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age |1964|10|11}}

| birth_place = Ganado, Arizona, Navajo Nation, United States

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| education =

| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|Arizona State University (BA)|St. John's Seminary (MDiv)}}

| motto = Estote factores verbi
(Be doers of the word)

| signature =

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}}

{{Infobox bishopstyles

| name= James Sean Wall

| dipstyle=

| offstyle=Your Excellency

| relstyle=Bishop

| image = Coat of arms of James Sean Wall.svg

| image_size = 200px

}}

James Sean Wall (born October 11, 1964) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Gallup in New Mexico since 2009.

Biography

=Early life and education=

James Wall was born on October 11, 1964, in Ganado, Arizona, in the Navajo Nation to James and Joan (née Hamilton) Wall. His parents converted to Catholicism after coming into contact with two Franciscan friars. He has three sisters and two brothers. Wall graduated from Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona, in 1983.{{Cite web |title=Bishop James S. Wall – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup |url=https://dioceseofgallup.org/about/our-bishop/ |access-date=2024-04-08 |language=en-US}}

After his high school graduation, Wall entered Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1993. Having decided to become a priest, Wall traveled to Camarillo, California, to enter St. John's Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity degree in 1998.

=Ordination and ministry=

Wall was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude in Phoenix for the Diocese of Phoenix by Bishop Thomas O'Brien on June 6, 1998.{{Cite web |title=Bishop James Sean Wall [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bwalljs.html |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}} The diocese assigned Wall as parochial vicar at St. Theresa Parish in Phoenix. He was transferred in 2001 to St. Timothy Parish in Mesa, Arizona, to serve as parochial vicar there.

In 2002, Wall became pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Phoenix. He remained at St. Thomas until his appointment to the diocesan chancery as vicar for priests in 2007. Wall also served as administrator pro tempore of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2007 and director of the Mount Claret Retreat Center in Phoenix from 2008 to 2009. From 2003 to 2007, Wall was a member of the National Advisory Council for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

=Bishop of Gallup=

On February 5, 2009, Wall was appointed the fourth bishop of Gallup by Pope Benedict XVI. He was consecrated on April 2, 2009, by Archbishop Michael Sheehan at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup. His co-consecrators were Bishop Thomas Olmsted and Auxiliary Bishop Edward Clark

In 2013, Wall renovated a chapel used by local seminarians with sacred art in santero, a New Mexico folk art based on Spanish colonial art. The artist, Arlene Sena, said that prayer was "the key to this tradition".{{cite news|last=Bunderson|first=Carl|title=Renovated New Mexico chapel to help form priests|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/26972/renovated-new-mexico-chapel-to-help-form-priests|work=Catholic News Agency|date=10 April 2013}} The chapel contains images of the Holy Family, James, brother of Jesus, Francis de Sales, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, two angels, and the Sacred Heart.

Wall walked the 200-mile-long Camino de Santiago de Compostela pilgrim trail in Spain with Bishop James Conley and Archbishop Paul Coakley in 2022.{{Cite web |last= |title=These three bishops made the trip of a lifetime together and share their experiences |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252255/three-bishops-on-the-camino-to-santiago-an-exclusive-interview-with-bishop-james-conley |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=Catholic News Agency |language=en}}