Michael John Sheridan

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Styles of
Michael John Sheridan
Reference style The Most Reverend
Spoken style Your Excellency
Religious style Monsignor
Posthumous style not applicabe


Michael John Sheridan (born March 4, 1945) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the second and current Bishop of Colorado Springs.

[edit] Biography

Michael Sheridan was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to John and Bernice (née Moore) Sheridan, and studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, from where he obtained his doctorate in theology. He was ordained to the priesthood by John Cardinal Carberry on May 29, 1971, and then did pastoral work in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. He also taught on the theological faculty of Kenrick Seminary.

On July 8, 1997, Sheridan was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis and Titular Bishop of Thibiuca by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following September 3 from Archbishop Justin Rigali, with Bishops Edward O'Donnell and Edward Braxton serving as co-consecrators. He chose as his episcopal motto: "Virtus in infirmitate perficitur" (2 Cor. 12:9), meaning, "In weakness there is strength."

Sheridan was named Coadjutor Bishop of Colorado Springs, Colorado, on December 4, 2001, later succeeding as Richard Hanifen as the second Bishop of Colorado Springs upon the latter's resignation on January 30, 2003.

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Sheridan sits on the Committee on Education. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, of the Board of Directors of Catholic Relief Services, of the International Dominican Foundation, and of the Kenrick Seminary Board of Trustees.

Sheridan excited controversy in 2004 when he said any Catholic who does not reflect church teaching in the voting booth "makes a mockery of that faith and belies his identity as a Catholic," a remark widely held to refer to supporters of John Kerry, though the bishop stated "the church never directs citizens to vote for any specific candidate." The directive was reported to be the first in the nation "that would apply to voters the same controversial sanctions proposed by some bishops against abortion-rights Catholic politicians...also one of the most drastic—equating a particular vote with sinful activity."[1]

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Preceded by
Richard Charles Patrick Hanifen		 Bishop of Colorado Springs
2003–incumbent		 Succeeded by
none