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 79) 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, a member of the Jesuits, was a leader in the Catholic Church. He was a bishop, which is a high-ranking leader in the church. He served as the Bishop of Mandeville in Jamaica from 2004 to 2006. Before that, he was an Auxiliary Bishop in Baltimore. After some concerns were raised, he was no longer allowed to serve in active ministry in certain areas.

Early Life and Education

Gordon Dunlap Bennett was born on October 21, 1946, in Denver, Colorado. He went to elementary school in Denver and then in Los Angeles after his family moved there in 1955. In 1964, he graduated from Loyola High School in Los Angeles as the top student in his class.

Later in 1964, Bennett joined the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, in Santa Barbara, California. He made his first promises as a Jesuit on September 8, 1966.

Bennett studied at Loyola Marymount University and then at Gonzaga University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. After college, he returned to Los Angeles to teach at Loyola High School. In 1975, he earned a Master of Divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California.

Becoming a Priest

On June 14, 1975, Gordon Bennett became a priest at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Hollywood, California. His first job as a priest was helping students at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco until 1979.

He continued his education, earning a Master's degree in Secondary School Administration from Loyola Marymount University in 1979. In 1980, he received another diploma in Administration from Fordham University. That same year, Bennett became the principal of Loyola High School, a role he held until 1988. On February 2, 1983, he made his final promises as a Jesuit.

In 1989, Bennett became a leader at the Jesuit Novitiate in Santa Barbara and Culver City, California. This is where new Jesuits begin their training. 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 an Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore. An Auxiliary Bishop helps the main bishop of a large area. He officially became a bishop at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore on March 3, 1998.

On July 6, 2004, Pope John Paul II appointed Bennett as the Bishop of Mandeville, Jamaica. He began his duties as bishop in Mandeville on September 24, 2004.

Resignation and Later Life

In May 2006, an issue arose that led to concerns about Bishop Bennett. Because of these concerns, he resigned as Bishop of Mandeville on August 8, 2006, citing health reasons.

After leaving Jamaica in 2006, Bennett moved to Los Angeles. He worked for several months organizing retreats and training sessions for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He then became a special fellow at Loyola Marymount University, focusing on theology and spirituality.

In 2009, the Vatican reviewed the concerns from 2006. They decided that Bennett could continue some of his duties as a bishop, but only under supervision and with certain limits.

However, in March 2019, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore decided that Bishop Bennett could no longer serve in ministry in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. This decision was made after a closer look at the 2006 issue. In March 2019, the Society of Jesus stated that Bennett had stopped working in ministry in August 2018 and was receiving treatment for cancer.

See also

Episcopal Succession