Ep. 4.45: Bishops from the Gateway City

Archbishop Rigali’s tenure continued St. Louis’s long tradition as a cradle of bishops, and this episode traces how several local priests were called into wider service. Monsignor John Gaydos—longtime chancellor, confidant to Cardinals Carberry and May, and a steady administrative hand—was appointed Bishop of Jefferson City, where he inherited a diocese shaped by decades of vigorous building and pastoral expansion. Bishop Michael Sheridan, a scholar‑pastor with deep academic credentials, became auxiliary bishop before moving to Colorado Springs, where he made national headlines with a forceful pastoral letter urging Catholics to align political choices with Church teaching on life issues. And Bishop Joseph Naumann, whose priesthood became synonymous with pro‑life leadership, emerges here as a central figure—building educational programs, strengthening pastoral outreach to mothers, and helping shape Missouri’s identity as a pro‑life state. Together, their stories reveal how St. Louis formed leaders capable of serving far beyond the archdiocese, each carrying a distinct charism into the wider Church.