The Bishop Elect for the Youngstown Diocese sat down for a one on one exclusive interview with WFMJ Today's Lindsey McCoy.

He also shared his plans for the Diocese which covers six counties in the region.

Reverend David J. Bonnar told WFMJ Today viewers, he is the fourth of five children, and he was raised in a loving home similar to many families in the region.

Bonnar said, "My dad was a butcher, my mom a house wife, she raised all of us at one time, my dad worked three jobs for the good of the family."

The Reverend was a Chaplain to the Pittsburgh Steelers for 12 years, has held a number of administrative and leadership roles in the diocese, including Vicar of Clergy and Editor a national publication for priests.

Bonnar said, "I've been so blessed to serve in an array of ministries for the Catholic Diocese the greatest which is being a parish priest and being a pastor."

Bonner tells WFMJ viewers he will listen before making decisions.

Pastor Bonnar added, "I need to listen to the voice of the people who are there, the priests, I think I also need to take time to assess the needs and see where our priorities need to be. In many ways Youngstown is not all that dissimilar to Pittsburgh."

Bonnar explained during dark times of this pandemic there is a need to provide hope by maximizing resources to help the poor and needy, to meet needs of parish members and their families, and for community outreach to grow church membership with a strategy that will involve every catholic in the six counties of the Youngstown Diocese.

Bonnar emphasized, "People continue to come to receive the Eucharist. They want their children to be baptized, they continue to be married, we continue to bury people all in the name of the church, so I think it's going to be a challenge everywhere, but I think that with God, as long as we stay rooted in him he will show us the way."

The Ordination of the Bishop Elect is scheduled to take place at Saint Columba Cathedral on Tuesday January 12th.