Jerome Edward Listecki (born March 12, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the eleventh archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee from 2010 to 2025.
Listecki previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago (2001–2004) and as Bishop of La Crosse (2004–2009).
Biography
Early years Listecki was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised on the Southeast Side. His father (d. 1986) owned a tavern before working as a bus driver for the Chicago Transit Authority. Jerome received his early education at the parochial school of St. Michael the Archangel Church before attending Quigley Preparatory Seminary South, from where he graduated in 1967. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Joseph College Seminary in 1971, and completed his theological studies at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary (in Mundelein, Illinois). During his summers as a seminarian, he worked in a blast furnace sintering plant in the US Steel mills near Chicago.
Ordination and ministry Listecki was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal John Cody on May 14, 1975.
After studies in canon law and moral theology in Rome, Listecki earned a licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in 1981 with a dissertation entitled Indissolubility and the United Methodist Church. He previously earned a Juris Doctor degree from DePaul University. "New auxiliary bishop for archdiocese", Chicago Catholic New World, 11/12/00 During his service to the Archdiocese of Chicago, he taught at both Quigley Preparatory Seminary North (later Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary) and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, served in a number of Chicago parishes and as pastor of St. Ignatius Church, worked within the Archdiocesan Chancery as an Appellate Judge for the Matrimonial Tribunal and separately as in-house legal counsel for the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1985 to 1987, and served as the chaplain to the Catholic Physicians' Guild of Chicago. Catholic Physicians' Guild of Chicago website, accessed 11/4/09
His media experience included co-hosting the Chicago radio station WIND program "Catholic Conversation" from 1978 to 1979, his regular participation as celebrant for the WGN TV "Mass for Shut-ins", as well as service as a producer for several other television programs. Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman website, accessed 11/5/09
Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago
On November 7, 2000, Listecki was appointed titular bishop of Nara and auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago by Pope John Paul II. He was consecrated on January 8, 2001.
Bishop of La Crosse, Wisconsin On December 29, 2004, Listecki was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, succeeding Bishop Raymond Leo Burke who became archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri, in St. Louis, Missouri.La Crosse Tribune – 7.0 : Listecki called ‘pleasant, down to earth' On March 1, 2005, he was installed as Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse.
At La Crosse he initiated a $50 million fundraising campaign, a planning process to restructure ministry and parishes in the diocese, "Q&A: Listecki looks at diocese future, past after two years as bishop", La Crosse Tribune July 14, 2007 and was instrumental in the development of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a project initiated by his predecessor, Bishop Burke.
Archbishop of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Bishop Listecki was named Archbishop of Milwaukee by Pope Benedict XVI on November 14, 2009. He was installed on January 4, 2010, by the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America, Archbishop Pietro Sambi. As Archbishop of Milwaukee, the metropolitan see of the Ecclesiastical Province of Milwaukee (the entire state of Wisconsin), he received the pallium on June 29, 2010, from Pope Benedict XVI. "Archbishop Listecki to Receive Pallium from Pope on 6/29/10 in Rome," Archdiocese of Milwaukee website, accessed 10/9/10
Listecki served as an Army Reserve chaplain in the United States Army Reserve for 20 years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.
Liesticki's resignation as archbishop was accepted on November 4, 2024.
Criticism The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) criticized Archbishop Listecki on January 6, 2010, for allowing retired archbishops Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee and Daniel Edward Pilarczyk of Cincinnati, who were implicated in covering up of cases of sexual abuse, to say Mass at St. John's Cathedral in Milwaukee. "Victims group questions visits by two retired archbishops", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/6/10 On January 12, 2010, during a hearing of the Wisconsin State Senate on a bill to extend the statute of limitations for reporting abuse as supported by Milwaukee District Attorney John T. Chisholm, state Senator Glenn Grothman joined in this criticism, and also questioned Listecki on why he allowed Weakland, who had been accused of moving around abusive priests, to keep his title as emeritus Archbishop of Milwaukee, as well as retaining the name Weakland Center on the pastoral center at St. John's Cathedral. Wisconsin Radio Network website, "Listecki pressed about Weakland's status", January 12, 2010, accessed October 19, 2010 Listecki testified against the bill, saying it would single out Catholic institutions and bankrupt the Milwaukee Archdiocese. "Listecki opposes lifting limits on abuse suits: Bill may be short votes in Senate, co-sponsor says", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/12/10 www.wisn.com, "Archbishop Opposes Bill To Remove Time Limits On Sex Abuse Cases: SNAP Pleased Milwaukee County District Attorney Supports Bill," 1/12/10, accessed 10/19/10
Listecki was publicly criticized in February 2010 by Jerry Matysik, the Eau Claire Police Chief, and SNAP for allegedly misleading the Wisconsin State Legislature about the LaCrosse diocese abuse notification procedure in Listecki's testimony against extending the statute of limitations, stating, "Archbishop Listecki appears more interested in protecting the organization than he is in protecting children," "Listecki misled legislators on policy, Eau Claire police chief says", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, February 4, 2010 and again in August 2010 by SNAP for passing up action on an abuse claim due to lack of evidence. "Listecki passed up action on priest for lack of evidence: La Crosse Diocese spokeswoman says incident did not meet standards for review", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 5, 2010
The Archbishop apologized to victims of clergy sexual abuse on March 30, 2010, in a statement that said that both the individual perpetrators, as well as the bishops who failed to stop the abuse, "go against everything the Church and the priesthood represent." "Archbishop Listecki Comments on Clergy Abuse at Chrism Mass" He credited the bravery of "victim-survivors" who persisted in bringing their cases to light and forcing the Church to change. "We owe these victims/survivors our deep gratitude and we acknowledge our own actions have not always expressed that gratitude adequately." He defended Pope Benedict XVI's role in the matter:
Three years later, the New York Times commented, Listecki was likely referring to the "learning curve" that psychiatrists and the clergy whom they advised experienced when it became clear, in about 2002, that pedophiles were not often likely to be cured of their tendencies.
See also
Catholic Church hierarchy Catholic Church in the United States Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States List of Catholic bishops of the United States Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
References
External links Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee Official Site