USCCB Press Release

WASHINGTON—Father Andrew V. Menke has been appointed executive director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).  The appointment is effective January 1, 2017. Father Menke, 43, is a priest of the diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska and has served as associate director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship since May, 2015.  He succeeds Fr. Michael Flynn, a priest of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, who has served as executive director since June, 2013.

“Father Menke offers impressive experience that will be of great benefit to the bishops’ conference and parishes across the nation.  He brings the same combination of professional expertise, pastoral understanding and personal style that has characterized the great work of Fr. Flynn,” said Msgr. Brian Bransfield, USCCB general secretary, who made the appointment.

Father Menke holds a master’s of divinity from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He was ordained a priest in 1999. After ordination, Fr. Menke served in various pastoral assignments in his diocese for eleven years, including five years as the diocesan master of ceremonies. During this time, he also completed a master’s degree in education administration at the University of Nebraska.  In 2010, he was invited for service to the Holy See as an official at the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The office assists the pope in regulating and promoting the liturgy of the Catholic Church, especially the sacraments.  During that time, Fr. Menke also earned a Licentiate in Sacred Liturgy at the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy. After serving in Rome for nearly five years, he returned to the United States to take up his current position at the bishops’ conference.

The Divine Worship Secretariat oversees liturgical celebrations of the bishops at national meetings, the preparation and publication of liturgical books used in parishes across the country, leadership in liturgical formation and sacramental catechesis, and serves as a resource for bishops and diocesan liturgical commissions and offices of Worship seeking advice.