ST. FRANCIS — Pope Francis has named Fr. Jeffrey R. Haines and Fr. James T. Schuerman, priests of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, as auxiliary bishops for Milwaukee.

The appointments were announced at the Vatican Jan. 25.

The two priests will be ordained bishops by Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.  The ordination date has not been announced, but is expected to be within the next five to eight weeks.

Bishop-elect Haines, 58 (born Oct. 6, 1958), rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee, was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1985, by Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland.

Bishop-elect Jeffrey Haines

He was three times elected moderator of the Archdiocesan Council of Priests of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and is a member of the College of Consultors.

After ordination in 1985, Bishop-elect Haines was appointed associate pastor of St. Nicholas Parish in Milwaukee. In 1987, he was given additional responsibilities as associate pastor of Holy Redeemer Church in Milwaukee. In 1991, he was appointed associate pastor of St. Eugene Parish, Fox Point. In 1996, he was appointed pastor of St. Frances Cabrini Parish in West Bend.

He was granted temporary leave to study canon law at Catholic University in 2002. However, he returned within the year to become temporary administrator of St. Patrick Parish, Whitewater. In 2003, he returned as pastor of St. Frances Cabrini Parish in West Bend, and was given additional responsibility as assisting priest of Immaculate Conception/St. Mary’s, West Bend in 2004. He was appointed rector of the cathedral in 2011.

Born in Milwaukee to Jim and Maureen (“Mo”) Haines, Bishop-elect Haines was baptized at St. Elizabeth Parish, Milwaukee, before the family moved to New Berlin in 1965. There, he attended Holy Apostles Elementary School, New Berlin, and graduated from new Berlin West High School in 1977.

He began his college studies at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, before transferring and graduating from Marquette University in 1981 with a degree in theology. He attended Saint Francis de Sales Seminary for graduate theological studies from 1981-1985, earning a Master of Divinity degree. Bishop-elect Haines has three siblings, John (Mary), Rick (Donna) and Anne (Sean) Haines Carroll.

Bishop-elect Schuerman, 58 (born April 5, 1958), pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Lake Geneva, and supervising priest of Holy Cross Parish, Bristol, was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1986, by Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland.

Bishop-elect James Schuerman

 

He attended St. Joseph Grade School, Lyons, Burlington Junior High School and Burlington High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Saint Francis de Sales College, master’s in theology from the University of Innsbruck, Austria, and doctorate in ministry from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Fr. Schuerman attended Saint Francis de Sales Minor Seminary, later attending Saint Francis de Sales Major Seminary, St. Francis, for one year until studying at Collegium Canisianum, while studying at the University of Innsbruck.

Fr. Schuerman began his priestly ministry as associate pastor of St. Anthony, Milwaukee, 1986-1992, followed by associate pastor and pastor of La Parroquia Sagrada Familia, Sabana Yegua, Azua, Dominican Republic, 1992-1996. He spent 1996-1997 as a student at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, before becoming spiritual director at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary, St. Francis, 1997-2009, followed by administrator of St. Andrew Parish, Delavan, 2009-2010, and then pastor, 2010-2011; From 2011 to 2012, he also served as pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Elkhorn. In 2012, he became pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Lake Geneva. He continues his role in priest formation, serving as adjunct spiritual director for Saint Francis de Sales Seminary.

Bishop-elect Schuerman speaks German and Spanish, which has aided his ministry in the southwestern area of the archdiocese where there is a growing population of Hispanic Catholics.

The son of Robert and Elizabeth Schuerman, Bishop-elect Schuerman has four siblings, Virginia (Sam) Kalaveshi, Robert (Jean Ann) Schuerman, Jr., Theresa Schuerman (Mark Leemkuil) and David Schuerman.

“Praised be Jesus Christ; this is a proud moment for the Church in southeastern Wisconsin,” Archbishop Listecki said. “By choosing two of our own priests as our new auxiliary bishops, the Holy Father has paid a high compliment to all the priests from this archdiocese. In these two humble parish priests, Pope Francis has chosen men with a pastoral heart who have deep spirituality, and men who have the confidence of the priests and people of the archdiocese. He has gifted us with true servant-leaders, and they will share my ministry to the people of God throughout southeastern Wisconsin.”

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has one auxiliary bishop, Bishop Emeritus Richard J. Sklba, 81, who was appointed a bishop by Pope John Paul II and served the Archdiocese of Milwaukee until his retirement in 2010.

“I join the Archbishop and all the faithful of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in our expression of great joy as we learn of the Holy Father’s recent appointment of Frs. Jeffrey Haines and James Schuerman to serve as Auxiliary Bishops for the Catholics of Southeastern Wisconsin,” Bishop Sklba said.  “They are both excellent pastors whose new ministry will be for us a great blessing for many years to come.  My prayers are with them both.”

Recent auxiliary bishops in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee include Bishop Donald J. Hying who served as Auxiliary Bishop from 2011-2014, and is now the Bishop of the Diocese of Gary, Indiana, and Bishop William P. Callahan, Auxiliary Bishop from 2007-2010, now the Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse.