Leo XIV Appoints Interfaith Bridge-Builder Bishop - Against Kneeling for Holy Communion?
Monsignor Mullen, a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana, has been Administrator of Belleville since May 2025.
The Diocese was established in 1887 and has a total population of 860,000 people, 70,000 of whom are Catholic.
From Strongly Parish-Centered Family
A native of Illinois, Godfrey Mullen is the fourth of five children. His family had very strong ties to the parish. His mother worked as a school and parish secretary and his father was involved in parish leadership.
He became an altar server in the first year of school, a lector during his school years, and an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion in high school.
He first considered becoming a priest at around the age of 11, when a religious sister asked him if he had ever thought about it.
Abbey Saint Meinrad Has Been Problematic
Godfrey Mullen grew up around 180 km (a two-hour drive) from Saint Meinrad Archabbey, which he joined in 1988. The Abbey was part of the American liturgical movement that promoted vernacular liturgy and 'active participation' in liturgy.
It hosts a seminary for training priests and a theological school. It represents mainstream U.S. seminary formation.
Some individual cases of homosexual misconduct involving monks of Saint Meinrad have been acknowledged, but there is no evidence of a systemic homosexual subculture.
Mullen was ordained as a priest of the Archabbey of Saint Meinrad on 5 June 1994.
His training and teaching stem from the modern liturgical movement. He wrote his doctoral thesis in liturgical studies, entitled Participation in the Liturgy: The National Liturgical Weeks, 1940–1962, which he completed at the Catholic University of America in Washington in 2003.
Most Proud of Establishing Lay Leadership
Father Mullen served as rector of St Benedict's Cathedral in the Diocese of Evansville from 2013 to 2022. In his farewell message, he reminisced about the renovation of the cathedral, though this was not his crowning achievement.
"We have a great pastoral council, a great finance council, a great school council and a great building and grounds committee," he wrote
He is "most proud" of establishing that "lay leadership".
Defending Interfaith Events Against Catholics
When he helped lead Evansville’s "One God, One Community" interfaith effort, some parishioners feared the Catholic faith would be presented in a “wishy-washy” way.
However, Mullen defended the interfaith effort: "It could not have been more powerful," he said according to NcrOnline.org (August 2018).
During the Covid-19 hysteria, Fr Mullen participated in interfaith prayer services with Jewish, Muslim, and Protestant leaders. The prayers included references to staying home, social distancing, and praying for health workers.
Facebook-Rumor: Against Kneeling for Holy Communion
There is a recurring anonymous accusation in postings on social media – that has yet to be verified - that he is against kneeling for receiving Holy Communion:
"Father Godfrey Mullen of the Cathedral in Evansville Diocese, Indiana, does not like it when people take communion on their knees or on the tongue."
Ribbon Choreography During Liturgy
On February 15, 2026, Monsignor Mullen celebrated the Eucharist at the parish of St Teresa of the Child Jesus in Belleville.
Photographs from the diocesan Facebook page show children performing ribbon choreography in the church (pictured above).
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