Monsignor Jason Gray was named pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish earlier this year after serving as its administrator for nearly four years. In his short time there, Msgr. Gray has brought strong leadership to one of the largest parishes in the 26 counties that make up the Catholic Diocese of Peoria. He has overseen and completed a $6 million renovation and expansion of St. Vincent de Paul School, as well as the construction of parish offices. Under his leadership, St. Vincent de Paul was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
In addition to his parish responsibilities, Msgr. Gray has served as vice-chancellor for the Diocese of Peoria since 2001, assisting the chancellor in whatever means necessary and serving as a representative of the diocese in granting dispensations for couples preparing for marriage. He chairs the Peoria Notre Dame Pastor’s Board, which he helped to reorganize to bring about the renewal of the high school’s administration.
Msgr. Gray has served on the Diocese of Peoria Tribunal since 2006, and was appointed judicial vicar, the lead canonical lawyer for the bishop of Peoria, in 2008. In this role, he oversees a staff of secretaries, notaries and judges, and ministers to divorced persons throughout the diocese who seek annulments in the Catholic Church. In 2008, Msgr. Gray was appointed episcopal vicar for consecrated life, and acts on behalf of the bishop in matters pertaining to members of religious orders.
Upon graduating from the Catholic University of America in 2006, Msgr. Gray became a member of the Canon Law Society of America. The same year, he assisted in the founding of the Franciscan Sisters of John the Baptist, a new religious order in Peoria. In 2009, he was named a Chaplain to His Holiness by Pope Benedict XVI and given the title Monsignor, the youngest priest in the diocese to receive this honor. Earlier this year, Msgr. Gray was appointed to the diocese’s College of Consultors, which is charged with advising the bishop on various matters.
Since his ordination as a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria in 1997, Monsignor Gray has quickly gained notice and earned the respect of his peers, superiors and the community as he took on numerous responsibilities and dedicated himself to the service of those around him. iBi
