Jeffrey Neil Steenson Pennsylvania is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the first ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, which provides for groups of former Anglicans who have become Roman Catholics.
Education
Steenson is a scholar of patristics. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Christ Church, Oxford, with a 1983 dissertation entitled "Basil of Ancyra and the Course of Nicene Orthodoxy". His earlier degrees are Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School (1978) in New Testament patristics, Master of Arts from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (1976) in church history, and Bachelor of Arts from Trinity International University (1974) in history.
Career
In October 2004, Steenson was elected bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande. He was consecrated on January 16, 2005. On August 1, 2005, he succeeded Terrence Kelshaw as Bishop of Rio Grande.
In September 2007, Steenson announced his decision to resign as bishop, effective December 1.
Steenson was ordained a transitional deacon in December 2008 by Cardinal Bernard Law, the archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. On February 21, 2009, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe by Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan, at Saint Thomas Aquinas Church in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
Steenson has taught at the University of Dallas (Rome campus), the University of Saint Thomas in Houston, and at Saint Mary"s Seminary, also in Houston. On January 1, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named Steenson the first ordinary of the newly created Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter.
He was installed as ordinary on February 12, 2012.
Upon his appointment as ordinary, Steenson was granted the title protonotary apostolic, the highest rank of monsignor, by Pope Benedict XVI. At its founding, the ordinariate was said to have inquiries from over 100 Anglican priests and 1,400 people. Steenson resigned from the office of ordinary on November 24, 2015. His successor, Steven J. Lopes, was appointed on the same day.
Membership
Steenson was a member of the Board of Trustees of Nashotah House and the Board of Directors of The Living Church Foundation. Being married, Steenson is not eligible to be consecrated a Catholic bishop, but due to his position as ordinary, he is a full voting member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.