Bishop of Nashville
Msgr. J. Mark Spalding was born on 13 January 1965 in Lebanon, Kentucky, in the archdiocese of Louisville. After attending Bethlehem High School in Bardstown (1979 to 1983), he carried out his studies in philosophy at the “Saint Meinrad College Seminary” in Saint Meinrad, Indiana (1983-1987), and in theology at the “American College” Seminary in Leuven, Belgium (1987-1991), obtaining a licentiate in canon law from the Catholic University of Leuven (1992). He was ordained a priest on 3 August 1991 for the archdiocese of Louisville. Since priestly ordination he has held the following offices: parish vicar of the “Saint Joseph Proto-Cathedral Parish” in Bardstown (1992-1996), of the “Saint Augustine Parish” in Lebanon (1996-1998), and of the “Saint Margaret Mary Parish” in Louisville (1998-1999); judicial vicar (1998-2011); pastor of the “Immaculate Conception Parish” in LaGrange (1999-2011), of the “Holy Trinity Parish” (since 2011) and the “Holy Name Parish” (since 2016) in Louisville, and vicar general (2011-2017). Since 1998 he has been a member of the presbyteral council and the college of consultors.