Prior to his appointment by the Holy See, Msgr. Kagan was Vicar General, Moderator of the Curia and pastor of Holy Family Parish in Rockford.

After receiving word of the announcement Bishop Thomas G. Doran said, "It is a great joy and great complement to the priests of the Diocese of Rockford that twice, in barely over a year and a half, our priests have been chosen to be shepherds of other dioceses. Msgr. David Kagan has served this diocese faithfully and fruitfully for all the years of his priesthood and, in my judgement, deserves the honor and responsibility of being the seventh bishop of Bismarck, North Dakota."

"Msgr. Kagan's departure will be a loss to the Diocese of Rockford because he has been, for the last 17 years, in administrative work for the diocese as Officialis of the Tribunal, Chancellor, vicar general, moderator of the curia and associate publisher of The Observer. To lose a person that knowledgable is of course a sacrifice. But as it was with Bishop Timothy Doherty, we are happy. And the good people of Lafayette in Indiana and the people of the Diocese of Bismarck, have received from our priests, the best we have to offer. I wish Msgr. Kagan and the people he will serve, every blessing and happiness," Bishop Doran said.

Bishop-elect Kagan was Born in Waukegan, Nov. 9, 1949 and grew up in Spring Grove. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy, an S.T.B. in Sacred Theology and M.A. in Sacred Theology and a licentiate in Canon Law all from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Msgr. Kagan was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Arthur J. O'Neill in 1975. He has served the diocese at parishes including at St. Patrick, Dixon; St. Ann, Warren; St. Joseph, Apple River; Cathedral of St. Peter, Rockford; St. Mary, Byron; St. James, Rockford; St. Patrick, Rochelle; and St. James, Belvidere. He has served as chaplain for Maria Linden in Rockford and for the Poor Clares in Rockford. He has been director of the Office of Communication and of Vianney Oaks, and has served on various committees and councils.

His diocesan administrative positions also include service to the Tribunal as judge, vice-officialis and as officialis; service as chancellor ad interim, as promoter of the Third Legislative Synod of the diocese; as associate publisher of The Observer; as misconduct officer for the diocese; and service as diocesan consultor, moderator of the curia, and as vicar general.

He was named a Prelate of Honor of His Holiness and received the title of monsignor in 1994 and was admitted to the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem as a Knight Commander in 1995. July 2011 he was invested in the Ferrialo of a Prelate to signify his elevation to the title of Protonotary Apostolic Super Numerary of the Supreme Pontiff which is the highest level of honor for a monsignor.

Bishop-elect Kagan's ordination and installation Mass and ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 30. Watch for special coverage in the The Observer.

Rockford Diocesan Stewardship 2011
Begins May 21-22, 2011

Please view our video, and, as a good steward, please be generous.

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Prayer for a New Bishop

Good and Gracious God, by your providence you have given the Church of Rockford good shepherds throughout its history.

As our Bishop Thomas retires, we ask that you give him peace and happiness for all the good he has done in your name.

And we humbly plead that You, Heavenly Father, will send us a new shepherd, a bishop who will continue the good work his predecessors have achieved.

Grant us a shepherd who will preach the Word joyfully, teach the faith fearlessly, celebrate the sacraments reverently, doing all in a spirit of love and compassion, for the unborn who have no voice, for the poor who are often forgotten, for the young who seek guidance, for the sick who need healing, for the aged who yearn for hope, and for all your faithful people who come together as one Body in Christ to profess, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Church.

Inspired by Mary Immaculate, our patron, we ask this through Christ our Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Oración por un Nuevo Obispo

O buen y bondadoso Dios, en tu providencia tú le has dado a la Iglesia de Rockford buenos pastores a lo largo de su historia

Ahora que nuestro Obispo Tomas se retira, te pedimos que le des paz y felicidad por todo el bien que él ha hecho en Tu nombre.

Y te suplicamos humildemente que Tu, Padre Celestial, nos envíes un nuevo pastor, un obispo que continuará el buen trabajo que han realizado sus predecesores.

Concédenos un pastor que predique la Palabra con alegría, enseñe la fe sin temor, celebre los sacramentos con reverencia haciendo todo con un espíritu de amor y compasión por los no nacidos que no tienen voz, por los pobres que a frecuentemente son olvidados, por los jóvenes que buscan orientación, por los enfermos que necesitan sanación, por las personas de mayor edad que anhelan la esperanza, y por todos los fieles que se unen como Cuerpo de Cristo a profesar la fe en un solo Dios, un solo bautismo, y una sola Iglesia.

Inspirados por la Inmaculada Virgen Maria, nuestra patrona, te lo pedimos por Cristo nuestro Señor, y en el poder del Espíritu Santo. Amen.

Code and Guidelines for Technology and Social Media

Incorporating the tools of technology into parish and diocesan ministry should now be a little easier thanks to the new Code and Guidelines for the Pastoral Use of Technology and Social Media released by the Diocese of Rockford.

These documents along with a letter from Bishop Thomas G. Doran are now available here for download for all Catholics.

All those who work in Catholic parishes, schools and organizations are expected to adhere to the code and guidelines as they use these technological tools to advance the Catholic faith and evangelize the people of God.

Click here to read the documents

Click above to watch the video for the Diocese of
Rockford's 2011 Marriage-Building initiative. Fr. Carl Beekman interviewed on EWTN's Journey Home

Click here to watch the video