Louis Frederick Kihneman

Louis Frederick Kihneman III (born February 17, 1952) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi in Mississippi since 2017.

Early life
Louis Kihneman was born on February 14, 1952, in Lafayette, Louisiana. He attended the University of St. Thomas in Houston, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree in religious education and theology. He then attended St. Mary's seminary in Houston. Kihneman was ordained to the transitional diaconate on March 26, 1977.

Priesthood
On November 18, 1977, Kihneman was ordained by Bishop Thomas Joseph Drury to the priesthood for the Diocese of Corpus Christi at the Corpus Christi Cathedral. The diocese assigned Kihneman as parochial vicar at the following parishes:


 * San Isidro Labrador in Arteaga, Mexico (1977)
 * St. Anthony of Padua in Robstown,Texas (1978 to 1980))
 * Christ the King parish in Corpus Christi (1980 to 1981)
 * Saints Cyril and Methodius in Corpus Christi (1981 to 1983)

Kihneman was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Alice, Texas, and St. Peter Mission in Ben Bolt, Texas, in 1983. He left Our Lady and St. Peter in 1986 to become diocesan director of vocations and seminarians, along with director of the St. John Vianney House of Studies and director of Christian leadership vocations.

In 1993, the diocese moved Kihneman from his diocesan positions to become pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Rockport, Texas, a post he would hold for the next eight years. Bishop Michael Mulvey appointed Kihneman as vicar general in 2010. In 2014, he was also appointed as pastor of St. Philip Parish in Corpus Christi.

Bishop of Biloxi
Pope Francis appointed Kihneman as the fourth bishop of Biloxi on December 16, 2016. Kihneman was to be consecrated as a bishop on February 17, 2017, but surgery for diverticulitis forced its postponement until April 28, 2017. He was consecrated by Archbishop Thomas John Rodi with Bishops Roger Morin and William Mulvey serving as co-consecrators.

In January 2019, Kihneman released a list of three diocesan priests, none of whom was still practicing ministry, having credible accusations of sexual abuse. Kihneman released a statement in July 2020 with Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Diocese of Jackson denouncing the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a policeman in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The statement also condemned racism in the United States.