by Therese Horvat
Special to The Leaven
Newly installed Archbishop Shawn McKnight’s background reads like a rising star: priest, university chaplain, professor and theologian, seminary faculty and administrative roles, executive director of a national bishop’s committee, pastor, bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City. Those who have served with him describe the new archbishop as an astute listener; a proponent of stewardship and coresponsibility; an advocate of living the Beatitudes; and a leader committed to accompanying people on their paths to holiness.
Through his innate talents, experiences, words and actions, Archbishop McKnight demonstrates leadership grounded in synodality. He embraces a faith-filled process of journeying together with those he serves as they strive to discern and do what the Holy Spirit is asking the church to be and do today.
The gift of listening
Father Christopher Cordes, vicar for priests in the Diocese of Jefferson City, said that Archbishop McKnight definitely believes in consultation and seeking input. He did this through existing channels such as the presbyteral council and pastoral council. He introduced new advisory groups to help inform a culture of stewardship and outreach to youth.
Across his tenure in the Missouri diocese, Bishop McKnight invited feedback from a broad range of people through multiple small group sessions, surveys and town hall meetings. Discussions focused on stewardship, pastoral planning and living the Beatitudes. Built into these sessions were opportunities for participants to learn, dialogue and practice discernment with openness to the Holy Spirit as a partner in the process. Msgr. Robert A. Kurwicki, vicar general, credited this approach with generating new questions, ideas and observations. While this may take more time, it creates a sense of ownership.
Described as quiet in demeanor, Archbishop McKnight has a gift for listening and gathering diverse opinions. Anne Hackman, chairperson of the Diocesan Stewardship Council, said that his wheels are always in motion with openness to suggestions to help strengthen the mission of the church.
Colleen Abbott, chairperson of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, describes the new archbishop as continually extending the invitation for people to engage. This includes a feedback cycle that is formal and informal.
“He wants to make sure that as many voices as possible are heard,” she said.
Bishop McKnight’s chancery leadership team — the “Cabinet” — met regularly, supplemented by his one-on-one meetings with department directors. Msgr. Kurwicki said these combined opportunities gave the bishop access to a great amount of unfiltered information.
Complementing his gift as a listener, Archbishop McKnight is known for his ability to assimilate vast amounts of input and information.
Danilsa Reyes-Gonzalez, event management specialist at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), witnessed his talents when then-Father McKnight was executive director of the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations there. She has seen further evidence of these skills in his presentations at bishops’ meetings.
“He is an active listener and effective communicator,” she said. “He understands multiple sides of an issue and can express what he hears in a very clear and concise manner.”
Reyes-Gonzalez, who has been with the USCCB for 14 years, describes Archbishop McKnight as very approachable. She thinks he was always meant for leadership and that collaboration and unification are recurring themes across his ministry.
In this together
Foundational to Bishop McKnight’s leadership style in the Jefferson City Diocese was his understanding of a dynamic concept of stewardship that promotes and sustains vital parishes through active lay involvement.
He espoused a stewardship model originally developed in his home diocese of Wichita. Much more than financial giving, this approach centers on personal investments of time, talent and treasure. Hackman explained that introduction of the model engaged parishioners diocesan-wide in education and discussion, invited their feedback and resulted in cultural changes. Mutual listening occurred. Over time, mutual respect among clergy and laity was cultivated, laypersons became more involved and a strong identity as church evolved.
Highly interrelated with stewardship is Archbishop McKnight’s emphasis on coresponsibility that promotes collaboration among clergy and laity, parishes, the deaneries and the diocese in support of the church’s mission. Hackman said that put into practice at the parish level, coresponsibility fosters encouragement of pastors to delegate and to use the talents of laypersons. Laity, in turn, are asked to understand and care for priests through prayers, support and volunteer service in ministries.
“Good lay-clergy relations benefit all of us,” she said. “When your pastor asks, ‘What do you think about this’ or ‘Will you help me with something,’ it’s a God moment. You know you are part of the church.”
In an article in the Catholic Missourian (June 23, 2022), the official newspaper of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Bishop McKnight wrote, “By sharing our talents and gifts, we strengthen our bonds with one another. Walking together, we divide our burdens and multiply our gifts.”
Coresponsibility at the deanery level was demonstrated under Bishop McKnight’s leadership as well. Father Cordes said that quarterly deanery meetings evolved to include lay parish leaders. Priests met first as a group. Then laypersons joined for a subsequent 90-minute meeting. The meetings occurred simultaneously in all five deaneries. Using Zoom, chancery staff gave live presentations and responded to questions from participants. Discussion on a topic or theme followed at the deanery level with feedback submitted to the diocese.
“People wouldn’t drive the distance they did to attend these deanery meetings if they didn’t think they would be heard,” said Father Bill Peckman, pastor of four parishes and dean of the northern tier of the diocese. This didn’t mean that every idea expressed got implemented or that everyone got what he or she wanted. While he experienced Bishop McKnight as more about service than power, Father Peckman found him very respectful of church teachings and canon law and mindful of parameters and expectations.
Living the Beatitudes
An additional thrust of Archbishop McKnight’s leadership style is his focus on mission — sharing and living the Gospel message with special concern for the marginalized and vulnerable.
Abbott saw him as a servant leader with a heart for people.
“With Pope Francis as his model, the bishop encouraged us to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” she said.
A key pillar of the Jefferson City diocesan pastoral plan is to make parishes centers of charity and sanctuaries of mercy. Father Peckman appreciated that the bishop and the diocese did not prescribe ways to accomplish this. They left it up to parishes to identify and respond to needs in their local communities.
His parish in Shelbina, Missouri, developed raised garden beds and made them available to the entire community. Produce goes to those who work and tend the garden, and also to a food pantry and school. On a visit to the parish, Bishop McKnight expressed great interest in this initiative that has expanded over time.
The stewardship model and pastoral planning encompassed and occurred at the parish, deanery and diocesan levels. Through these processes, parishes considered and implemented opportunities to share resources across parish boundaries. This occurred with youth ministries and bereavement groups.
Women held several key leadership positions on Bishop McKnight’s Cabinet and councils. The diocese introduced a new office of women’s ministry that supports women through extensive programming, prayer, fellowship and faith formation.
In Advent 2024 and Lent 2025, persons across the diocese probed the question of what they need to be doing to live the Beatitudes to make parishes centers of charity and sanctuaries of mercy. They discussed ways they could address the needs of the poor and other vulnerable and marginalized populations.
A lasting legacy
Acknowledging that Bishop McKnight sparked an energetic, participative environment across the Jefferson City Diocese, Hackman said, “Archbishop McKnight is a person of great intelligence with a keen vision. He is wonderful and amazing, open and transparent, and he works so hard.”
Abbott noted an intentionality that permeates the new archbishop’s leadership. He models coresponsibility by engaging others while empowering them to accept responsibility for one another and the church.
“He left a lasting impression on our diocese,” she summed up. “Revitalization occurred in many ways.”
Msgr. Kurwicki agreed.
“Bishop McKnight accomplished a great deal both seen and unseen,” he said. “History will be kind to him. His memory will be eternal.”
