Gordon Dunlap Bennett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency, The Most Reverend Gordon Dunlap Bennett
Bishop Emeritus of Mandeville
Bennett speaking at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco
Diocese	Mandeville
Appointed	July 6, 2004
Enthroned	September 24, 2004
Reign ended	August 8, 2006
Predecessor	Paul Michael Boyle
Successor	Neil Edward Tiedemann
Orders
Ordination	June 14, 1975
Consecration	March 3, 1998 by William H. Keeler, Carlos Arthur Sevilla, and George V. Murry
Personal details
Born	(1946-10-21) October 21, 1946 (age 78) Denver, Colorado
Previous post	Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore
Motto	Grace Upon Grace

Styles of Gordon Dunlap Bennett
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Gordon Dunlap Bennett, S.J. (born October 21, 1946) is an African-American former Catholic leader. He served as the Bishop of Mandeville in Jamaica from 2004 to 2006. He was also an Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore before that. Bishop Bennett is a member of the Jesuits, a religious order within the Catholic Church.

Growing Up and Education

Bennett was born on October 21, 1946, in Denver, Colorado. He first went to Loyola Grammar School there. In 1955, his family moved to Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, he attended Holy Spirit Elementary School. Then he went to St. Thomas the Apostle Elementary School. In 1964, he graduated from Loyola High School in Los Angeles. He was the top student in his class.

Becoming a Jesuit

After high school in 1964, Bennett joined the Jesuits in Santa Barbara, California. On September 8, 1966, he made his first promises as a Jesuit.

In 1966, Bennett started studying at Loyola Marymount University. He later transferred to Gonzaga University in 1968. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Gonzaga.

Teaching and Further Studies

After college, Bennett returned to Los Angeles. He taught at Loyola High School. In 1975, he earned a Master of Divinity degree. He got this from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California.

On June 14, 1975, Bennett became a priest. His ordination took place at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Hollywood, California. His first job as a priest was at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco. He worked there until 1979.

In 1979, Bennett earned a Master's degree in Education. This degree was in Secondary School Administration from Loyola Marymount University. In 1980, he received a Professional Diploma in Administration from Fordham University.

From 1980 to 1988, Bennett served as the principal of Loyola High School. On February 2, 1983, he made his final vows as a Jesuit. In 1989, he became a leader at the Jesuit Novitiate in Santa Barbara and Culver City, California. In 1996, he was named President of Loyola High School.

Serving as a Bishop

In 1998, Pope John Paul II chose Gordon Bennett to be a bishop. He was appointed as an Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore. He was ordained as a bishop on March 3, 1998. This ceremony took place at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore.

On July 6, 2004, Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Bennett to a new role. He became the Bishop of Mandeville, Jamaica. He officially began his duties as Bishop of Mandeville on September 24, 2004.

Resignation and Later Life

On August 8, 2006, Bishop Bennett resigned as Bishop of Mandeville. He stated that his resignation was due to health reasons.

After leaving Jamaica in 2006, Bishop Bennett moved to Los Angeles. For several months, he organized retreats and training sessions. These were for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He was then appointed as a special fellow at Loyola Marymount University. This role focused on pastoral theology and Ignatian spirituality.

In March 2019, it was reported that Bishop Bennett had stopped working in ministry in August 2018. He was undergoing treatment for cancer at that time.

See also

Episcopal Succession