Bishop Brendan Cahill and Archbishop James Checchio with IBCS 2026 Faculty and Staff (Veronica Favre)

Xavier University of Louisiana celebrates Bishop Brendan J. Cahill ’94, an alumnus of Xavier’s Institute for Black Catholic Studies (IBCS), following his appointment by Pope Leo XIV as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois.

The appointment, announced September 17, marks a new chapter in Bishop Cahill’s ministry and continues a journey that includes a meaningful connection to Xavier and its longstanding role in Black Catholic education and formation.

Bishop Cahill earned a Master of Theology from Xavier University of Louisiana’s Institute for Black Catholic Studies in 1994. He has remained proud of his connection to Xavier and the IBCS, which for more than four decades has served the Church through theological education, pastoral formation and the study and celebration of Black Catholic life and culture. He has served as bishop of the Diocese of Victoria in Texas since 2015, when Pope Francis appointed him. A native of Coral Gables, Florida, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in 1990. His academic and ministerial formation has focused on the experiences and contributions of Black Catholics. In addition to his graduate studies at Xavier, his doctoral research at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome examined the history of preaching among African American Catholics.

Bishop Cahill’s appointment to Joliet places an IBCS alumnus at the helm of a diocese serving Catholics across seven counties in northeastern Illinois. He succeeds Bishop Ronald A. Hicks and will become the seventh bishop in the history of the Diocese of Joliet. His installation is expected in November 2026.

Through the Institute for Black Catholic Studies, Xavier continues its distinctive mission of preparing clergy, religious and lay leaders for service to the Catholic Church and communities throughout the nation and world. Bishop Cahill’s appointment represents another point of pride in that legacy and in the far-reaching impact of the Xavier community.