On Tuesday morning, the USCCB elected Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky as president of the bishops’ conference.

He was elected on the first ballot with 125 votes, which is 53% of the total votes.

Here is a selection of his official biography:

Born on August 18, 1946, in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz earned bachelor (1968) and master of divinity (1972) degrees from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and a master’s degree (1976) in social work from the Marywood School of Social Work in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Archbishop Kurtz was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Allentown on March 18, 1972. Before becoming Bishop of Knoxville, Archbishop Kurtz served for 27 years in the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in charge of social services, diocesan administration, and parish ministry. He was pastor of Notre Dame of Bethlehem Parish in Bethlehem, PA, from 1996 to 1999, and St. Mary Parish in Catasauqua, PA from 1988 to 1996, associate director and later executive director of the Catholic Social Agency and Family Life Bureau from 1976 to 1994, and diocesan coordinator for health affairs from 1991 to 1998. He taught at both Mary Immaculate Seminary and St. Pius X Seminary. Archbishop Kurtz received the distinguished title of monsignor in 1986

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good–who sponsors Millennial–released the following statement on Kurtz’s election:

We thank God for the election of Archbishop Joseph Kurtz as the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. With his long pastoral experience, he’s a man who is clearly capable of moving the bishops’ conference forward in the vision laid out by Pope Francis. During this time of great excitement and fanfare for the universal Church, the bishops of the United States have a unique opportunity to renew the American Church as a place of welcome for all God’s children and as a tireless protector of God’s gifts in the public sphere, particularly as a defender of the poor and the marginalized. We look forward to journeying together with him in the years to come.

As an organization, we once again renew ourselves in our dedication to the Church. During his inaugural homily, Pope Francis asked all of us to work together to be protectors of God’s gifts. With Archbishop Kurtz, the bishops of the United States and the entire American Church, we plan to do just that.