Roger Lawrence Schwietz
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Roger Lawrence Schwietz, O.M.I. (born July 3, 1940) is an American
prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Minister (Christianity), Christian clergy who is an Ordinary (church officer), ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which me ...
of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. Schwietz served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Anchorage in Alaska from 2001 to 2016. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Duluth in Minnesota from 1989 to 2000.


Biography


Early life

Roger Schwietz was born on July 3, 1940, in
Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...
,
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, the son of a Polish-American tavern owner. He was baptized on July 21, 1940, and attended the parish of St. Casimir. He attended
Cretin-Derham Hall High School Cretin-Derham Hall High School (CDH) is a private, co-educational Catholic high school in Saint Paul, Minnesota operated by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. It is co-sponsored by the Brothers of the Christian Schools and the Sis ...
in Saint Paul. On August 15, 1961, Schwietz made his first profession as a member of the
Oblates of Mary Immaculate The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest later recognized as a Catholic saint. The congregation was ...
(OMI) Order and entered their seminary. Schwietz attended the
University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...
in Ottawa, Ontario, earning an undergraduate degree in
philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
and a master's degree in philosophy. He later received a master's degree in
counseling psychology Counseling or Counselling psychology is an international discipline. It is practiced in the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, Hong Kong and Korea, and South Africa. Counseling psychology in th ...
from
Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic Church, ...
.


Priesthood

On December 20, 1967, Schwietz was ordained to the priesthood for OMI in Rome at the International College of the Missionary by Archbishop Joseph Patrick Fitzgerald. After his 1967 ordination, OMI assigned Schwietz to a pastoral assignment at a parish in
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the southern end of Lake Winnebago and had a population of 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Fond du Lac met ...
. He then traveled to Rome to attend the
Pontifical Gregorian University Pontifical Gregorian University (; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana), is a private university, private pontifical university in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as a part of the Roman College, founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyo ...
, receiving his
Licentiate of Sacred Theology Licentiate in Sacred Theology (; abbreviated LTh or STL) is the second of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the first being the Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology and the third being the Doctorate in Sacred Theology) which are conferred ...
in 1968. Returning to the United States, Schwietz spent the next several years working with OMI seminarians. In 1975, Schwietz was appointed associate
pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...
of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in
International Falls, Minnesota International Falls (sometimes referred to as I-Falls) is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 5,802 at the time of the 2020 census. International Falls is located on the Rainy R ...
. He left St. Thomas in 1978 after the OMI named him director of its college seminary program at
Creighton University Creighton University () is a private research university in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate ...
in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1984, Schwietz was transferred from Omaha to serve as pastor of Holy Family Parish in
Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...
.


Bishop of Duluth

On December 12, 1989,
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
appointed Schwietz as the seventh bishop of Duluth. He was consecrated on February 2, 1990, by Archbishop John Roach, with Bishops
Robert Brom Robert Henry Brom (September 18, 1938 – May 9, 2022) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Duluth in Minnesota, from 1983 to 1989, and as bishop of the Diocese of San Diego in Southern Calif ...
and Michael Pfeifer serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary in Duluth. While bishop, Schwietz served as episcopal moderator for the Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) movement, starting in 1991. Schwietz received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from
Lewis University Lewis University is a private Lasallian university in Romeoville, Illinois, United States. It enrolls around 6,600 students in more than 80 undergraduate programs, 35 graduate programs, and accelerated programs for working adults. It is al ...
in
Romeoville, Illinois Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village is located southwest of Chicago on the Gateway Wetlands, directly west of the Des Plaines River. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,863. It is located in the s ...
, in 1998. In a 2002 affidavit, Schwietz said that, as bishop of Duluth, he had approved a small settlement of under $100,000 to a former seminarian who claimed in the mid-1990's that he had been sexually abused by Bishop Brom, Cardinal
Joseph Bernardin Joseph Louis Bernardin (April 2, 1928 – November 14, 1996) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1972 until 1982, and as Archbishop of Chicago from 1982 until his death from pancreatic cancer. B ...
and several priests. As part of the settlement, shared by the Diocese of Winona, the seminarian retracted all his charges.


Coadjutor Archbishop and Archbishop of Anchorage

On January 18, 2000, John Paul II named Schwietz as
coadjutor archbishop The term "coadjutor" (literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coadjutor bishop ...
of Anchorage to assist Archbishop Francis Hurley. Schwietz was installed as coadjutor on March 24, 2000. On March 3, 2001, with Hurley's resignation, Schwietz automatically became archbishop of Anchorage. A licensed pilot, Schwietz frequently flew his own plane to visit distant parishes. On October 2, 2006,
Guzmán Carriquiry Lecour Guzmán Carriquiry Lecour (born 20 May 1944) is a Uruguayan lawyer, journalist and activist on behalf of Roman Catholic causes in Latin America. In his 50-year career in the Roman Curia, he was one of the few laypersons in the upper ranks. For his ...
, undersecretary of the
Pontifical Council for the Laity The Pontifical Council for the Laity was a pontifical council of the Roman Catholic Curia from 1967 to 2016. It had the responsibility of assisting the Pope in his dealings with the laity in lay ecclesial movements or individually, and their ...
in Rome, met with Schwietz, who presented TEC to the curial
dicastery A dicastery (; ; from ) is the name of some departments in the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest C ...
. Schwietz also served as episcopal liaison to Region I of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. Within the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic C ...
(USCCB), Schwietz served as a consultant to the
Liturgy Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...
Committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...
(1991 to 1994), member (1992 to 2004) and chairman (elected 1998) of the Vocation Committee, and member of the committee on the
Laity In religious organizations, the laity () — individually a layperson, layman or laywoman — consists of all Church membership, members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-Ordination, ordained members of religious orders, e ...
(1995 to 1998) and chair of its Subcommittee on
Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood (Maturity (psychological), maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as bei ...
(1993–1998). Schwietz also sat on the
Catholic Relief Services Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the Bishops of the United States, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 110 ...
' board of directors (1997–2003) and the NCCB administrative board (1994 to 1997, 1998 to 2002). In 2002, he became regional representative on the board for the American College in Leuven, Belgium. On January 16, 2008, the Vatican appointed Schwietz as the
apostolic administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...
of the Diocese of Juneau while continuing his position as archbishop. He administered Juneau until January 19, 2009, when Monsignor
Edward Burns Edward Fitzgerald Burns (born January 29, 1968) is an American actor and filmmaker. He rose to fame with '' The Brothers McMullen'' (1995), his low-budget independent film that became successful worldwide. His other film appearances include '' ...
was consecrated as its next bishop. Schwietz was named apostolic administrator a second time on September 20, 2013, this time for the Diocese of Fairbanks. When Reverend
Chad Zielinski Chad William Zielinski (born September 8, 1964) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who is the fifth bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm in Minnesota. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Fairbanks in Alaska from 2014 t ...
was consecrated in Fairbanks as bishop on December 15, 2014, Schwietz's duties as apostolic administrator ended.


Retirement and legacy

In July 2015, when Schwietz reached the mandatory retirement age of 75, he submitted his letter of resignation to the pope.
Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
accepted Schwietz's resignation as archbishop of Anchorage on October 4, 2016. He was succeeded by Bishop
Paul D. Etienne Paul Dennis Étienne (born June 15, 1959) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Seattle since 2019. He was previously Bishop of Cheyenne from 2009 to 2016 and Archbishop of Anchorage from 2016 to 2019. Early life ...
from the Diocese of Cheyenne. On April 28, 2017, Schwietz was brought to
Providence Alaska Medical Center Providence Alaska Medical Center is Alaska's largest hospital by revenue and number of beds. It has 401 beds, 1190 nurses and more than 850 physicians on staff. It is often ranked the largest private employer in Alaska. It is located at 3200 Prov ...
in Anchorage with complaints of
chest pain Chest pain is pain or discomfort in the chest, typically the front of the chest. It may be described as sharp, dull, pressure, heaviness or squeezing. Associated symptoms may include pain in the shoulder, arm, upper abdomen, or jaw, along with n ...
, later diagnosed as a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
. In late November 2017, he underwent successful heart valve replacement surgery at the
Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic () is a Nonprofit organization, private American Academic health science centre, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center focused on integrated health care, healthcare, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science ...
in
Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. It is located along rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a popul ...
. As of 2024, Schwietz was serving as archbishop in residence of St. Andrew's Parish in Eagle River, Alaska. In addition to his residence in Alaska, Schwietz owns a home in
Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 86,395; it was estimated to have grown to 95,949 in 2022, making it the List o ...
. *
Catholic Church hierarchy The hierarchy of the Catholic Church consists of its bishops, priests, and deacons. In the ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the church, the Body of Christ, so to respect the diversity of gif ...
*
Catholic Church in the United States The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in full communion, communion with the pope, who as of 2025 is Chicago, Illinois-born Pope Leo XIV, Leo XIV. With 23 percent of the United States' population , t ...
*
Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...
*
List of Catholic bishops of the United States The following is a list of bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States. The list also includes bishops in the American territories of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cath ...
*
Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops This is a directory of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops across various Christian denominations. To find an individual who was a bishop, see the most relevant article linked below or :Bishops. Lists Catholic * Bishops in the Catholic Chu ...


References


External links


Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage Official Site


Episcopal succession

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwietz, Roger Lawrence 1940 births Living people Clergy from Saint Paul, Minnesota Roman Catholic bishops of Duluth Roman Catholic archbishops of Anchorage 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States University of Ottawa alumni Creighton University faculty American people of Polish descent Bishops appointed by Pope John Paul II Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate