Joseph A. Williams

Last updated
His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Joseph A. Williams
Coadjutor Bishop of Camden
Diocese Camden
AppointedMay 21, 2024
Orders
OrdinationMay 28, 2002
by  Harry Joseph Flynn
ConsecrationJanuary 25, 2022
by  Bernard Hebda, Richard Pates, Andrew H. Cozzens
Personal details
Born (1974-05-02) May 2, 1974 (age 50)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
Previous post(s)
MottoMisericordiam volo
(I want mercy)
Styles of
Joseph Andrew Williams
Coat of arms of Joseph Andrew Williams.svg
Reference style
Spoken style Your Excellency
Religious style Bishop

Joseph Andrew Williams (born May 2, 1974) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in Minnesota since 2021. Pope Francis appointed Williams as Coadjutor Bishop of Camden on May 21, 2024.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Joseph Williams was born on May 2, 1974, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has eight siblings, one of whom, Peter Williams, is a priest in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Joseph Williams attended Saint Croix Catholic School in Stillwater, Minnesota, and graduated from Stillwater High School in 1992. [1]

Williams studied at the University of Minnesota Morris (UMN–Morris) where he was a varsity tennis player and twice competed in the NCAA Division III men's tennis championships. He graduated from UMN–Morris with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996. [2]

Williams continued his studies at the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio. While there, he decided to become a priest. He received a philosophy/pre-theology degree from the university in 1998 and then entered the Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was awarded a Master of Divinity degree in 2002. [1]

Priesthood

Williams was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis by Archbishop Harry Flynn on May 28, 2002, at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota. [3] The archdiocese assigned Williams as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Saint Paul from 2002 to 2004 and Divine Mercy in Faribault from 2004 to 2005. [2] In 2005, Williams was appointed pastor of Saint Mathias Parish in Hampton, Minnesota, and Saint Mary parish in New Trier, Minnesota. He left both parishes in 2008 to become pastor of Saint Stephen Parish in Minneapolis.

When Williams was appointed as pastor of Saint Stephen's, the parish was largely failing to follow the rubrics of the Mass of the Second Vatican Council and did not submit to the teachings of the Catholic Church. [4] Williams' efforts to bring the parish in line with Catholic teaching resulted in many of the older parishioners walking out in the middle of Mass and leaving the parish entirely. [5] His first Christmas Mass at the parish had no worshippers. [6] Williams eventually rebuilt the parish into a thriving Latino community, the largest in Minnesota, with over 1,600 families. [7] [8]

Archbishop Bernard Hebda in 2018 named Williams as the vicar for the Latino ministry. [2]

During the 2020 George Floyd protests in Minneapolis, Williams responded to a cry for help in the middle of the night from a parishioner family whose apartment building was in danger of burning down. He drove to the apartment and welcomed them into the parish rectory for safety. [9]

Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Pope Francis appointed Williams as an auxiliary bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on December 10, 2021. [2] [1] [10] On January 25, 2022, Williams was consecrated as bishop by Archbishop Bernard Hebda at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, with Bishops Richard Pates and Andrew H. Cozzens acting as co-consecrators. [3] During his time as auxiliary bishop, Williams led initiatives for Latino ministry and implementation of the 2022 Archdiocesan synod.

Coadjutor of Camden

Pope Francis named Williams as Coadjutor Bishop of Camden on May 21, 2024. [11] [12] His Mass of Welcome is scheduled for late summer 2024. [13]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Pope Francis Names Rev. Joseph Williams Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis". Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Pope Francis Names New Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis". US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Bishop Joseph Andrew Williams [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  4. ↑ Coleman, Nick (March 1, 2008). "The push for conformity shoves away parishioners". Star Tribune. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  5. ↑ Bayly, Michael J. (15 February 2009). "The Wild Reed: A Catholic "Crisis and Opportunity" in South Minneapolis". The Wild Reed.
  6. ↑ Hrbacek, Dave (26 March 2013). "Word on the streets". TheCatholicSpirit.com. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  7. ↑ French, Rose (March 31, 2013). "Latinos give Minneapolis Catholic church new life". Star Tribune. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  8. ↑ Sotro, Melina. "Evangelization, Formation, Invitation". Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
  9. ↑ Umberger, Barb (January 21, 2022). "In 2020, Bishop-elect Williams rescued parishioners from riots". TheCatholicSpirit.com.
  10. ↑ Omastiak, Rebecca. "Pope Francis names new auxiliary bishop of Minneapolis, St. Paul". KSTP.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Pope Francis Appoints Bishop Joseph Williams as Coadjutor Bishop of Camden | USCCB". www.usccb.org. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  12. ↑ "Resignations and Appointments, 21.05.2024" . Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Bishop Williams named coadjutor bishop of Camden, New Jersey" . Retrieved May 21, 2024.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
-
 Coadjutor Bishop of Camden
2024-present		Succeeded by
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Preceded by
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 Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
2022-2024		Succeeded by
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