The Diocese of Covington has a new bishop, the Vatican announced on Tuesday.
Roger Foys's resignation was accepted by Pope Francis, who named Diocese of Belleville, Ill. Bishop John Iffert as bishop-elect.
Foys reached the age of 75 last year, the age at which bishops are expected to tender their resignations to the Pope.
He served as Bishop of Covington starting in 2002, appointed by Pope John Paul II.
The Chicago native became a priest in 1973.
Father John Iffert, 53, became a priest in 1997 after earning a bachelor's degree in political science from Illinois State University, and attending Mundelein Seminary, also in Illinois, where he earned a bachelor's degree in sacred theology and a master of divinity in 1997.
Bishop-elect Iffert’s assignments after ordination include, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: parochial vicar at St. Peter Cathedral in Belleville (1997-2000); administrator and pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Columbia (2000-2003). During that time, he served as a member of the diocesan personnel board, Defender of the Bond for the Tribunal, Spiritual Moderator for both the Belleville deanery CYO and the Diocesan Teens Encounter Christ movement. In August 2003, he entered the novitiate of the Order of Preachers, Province of St. Albert the Great, USA (Dominican, Central Province). He professed simple vows as a Dominican in 2004 which he renewed in 2006. From 2007-2008, he served as parochial vicar of St. Thomas Catholic Center at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Father Iffert left the Dominicans in 2008 and returned to the Diocese of Belleville.
Father Iffert has served as administrator of St. Mary parish in Mount Vernon (2008-2010); administrator of St. Theresa parish in Salem and at St. Elizabeth in Kinmundy (2009-2010); pastor of St. Mary parish (2010-2020); and pastor of St. Barbara in Scheller (2014-2020). He has served as vicar forane of the North Central Vicarate (2013-2020); diocesan co-vicar for priests (2014-2020); member of the Diocesan Finance Council (2010-present); and as a member of the College of Consultors (2016-present). Since 2020, Father Iffert has served as vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Belleville and since January 2021 he has served as pastor of St. Stephen in Caseyville.
The Diocese of Covington is comprised of 3,359 square miles in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and has a total population of 532,567 of which 91,895 are Catholic.
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