Most Reverend John Stowe, OFM Conv. is the Third Bishop of Lexington. He was ordained in 1995 and consecrated and installed in 2015. Bishop John earned a Masters of Divinity and Licentiate in Sacred Theology in the field of Church History from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (now affiliated with Santa Clara University). 

In 1995 he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop A. James Quinn at his home parish of Saint Anthony in Lorain. He was assigned to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, the oldest parish in Texas.

At the Province Chapter of 2010, Bishop John was elected Vicar Provincial of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation; he resigned from the Chancery in El Paso and became the Pastor and Rector of the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio (Toledo Diocese). He was re-elected vicar at the Chapter of 2014.

During his time in El Paso, Bishop John taught in the Tepeyac Institute for lay ministry, in the permanent diaconate formation programs for the Diocese of Las Cruces and El Paso, and was active in community organizing in an organization called EPISO. In the Franciscan Province, Bishop John chaired the Peace and Justice Commission and the Finance Commission at different times, and served a term as a definitor (provincial counselor) even prior to his election as vicar provincial.

Pope Francis appointed Bishop John Stowe as the Third Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington on March 12, 2015.