VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has named Father Godfrey Mullen, a Benedictine monk, as the new bishop of Belleville, Illinois.
The Vatican announced the appointment of Bishop-designate Mullen March 13. The see of the Diocese of Belleville has been vacant since its former bishop, now-Archbishop Michael G. McGovern, was installed as archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska, in May 2025.
Bishop-designate Mullen, 60, is a monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana and current administrator of the Diocese of Belleville. A native of Illinois, he holds a doctorate in liturgical studies from The Catholic University of America in Washington.
The Diocese of Belleville was established in 1887 and has a total population of 860,000 people, 70,000 of whom are Catholic.
