Bishop Spalding announces new assignments for 14 priests including newly appointed pastors for five churches in the Diocese of Nashville. These assignments will all be effective June 26 and include:
- Father Daniel Steiner is released from the office of pastor of Holy Rosary Church in Donelson and is appointed associate pastor of the Cathedral of the Incarnation with primary responsibility for hospital ministry. He served as Associate Pastor of the Cathedral before being appointed Pastor of Holy Rosary in 2018.
- Father John Sims Baker is appointed pastor of Holy Rosary Church in Donelson for a term of six years.
Father Baker grew up in Ashland City and has degrees from the University of the South and Vanderbilt University. As a seminarian, he graduated from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.
He was ordained by Bishop Edward Kmiec on March 25, 1994, and previously has served as associate pastor at Holy Rosary Church and St. Henry Church in Nashville, professor at Father Ryan High School, chaplain of the Vanderbilt University Campus Ministry, pastor of St. Patrick Church in McEwen and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Tennessee Ridge, St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows Church in downtown Nashville, and St. Rose of Lima Church in Murfreesboro. He also served on the staff at the Josephinum.
You may remember Fr Baker as an associate pastor at Holy Rosary when he was first ordained and more recently he did our parish Lenten Mission in February.
We are very sad to see Father Steiner go as he has been an amazing Pastor and are hoping to have some sort of going away celebration for him. Stay tuned for details, but in the meantime, we know he would appreciate any cards or notes letting him know how he impacted your life as our pastor.