Pope Francis has appointed Father James Mark Beckman, the pastor of a parish in the Diocese of Nashville, as the new bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Bishop Richard Stika, appointed bishop of Knoxville in 2009, resigned in 2023 following an apostolic visitation. He admitted in a court filing that he falsely accused a rape victim of being the aggressor in the incident.
In 2021, 11 priests of the diocese petitioned the apostolic nuncio for “merciful relief” from Bishop Stika’s governance.