He will replace Bishop Joseph Lawson Howze, whose resignation was accepted by the Pope. Bishop Howze, who already passed his 75th birthday, had led the diocese since 1977.
Monsignor Rodi was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 27, 1949. He attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. (1967-1971), and Tulane University in New Orleans (1971-1974), where he obtained a law degree.
He entered Notre Dame Seminary of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1974 to study theology. obtained a degree in canon law at Catholic University in Washington (1986). He was ordained a priest on May 20, 1978.
