Next Archbishop: Listen, Engage, Evangelize

The Most Rev. Jeffrey S. Grob is coming home.

The Wisconsin native, who grew up in the Diocese of Madison and is a self-described farm boy, was named the 12th Archbishop of Milwaukee on Monday, Nov. 4, by Pope Francis.

Archbishop-Designate Grob will be installed Jan. 14 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee, succeeding the man who was once his moral theology professor, Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki.

“I’m deeply grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Francis, for his trust in appointing me as Archbishop of Milwaukee and will do everything in my power to serve with a faith-filled heart,” Archbishop-Designate Grob said as part of a whirlwind announcement day that included several meetings with archdiocesan staff and a news conference at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary.

Archbishop Listecki, now the Apostolic Administrator for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, said that Milwaukee has been blessed with the selection of Archbishop-Designate Grob, an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

“I have known Bishop Grob for a number of years and assure he is a man dedicated to Christ and his Church,” Archbishop Listecki said. “He possesses a priestly heart, and I believe he will quickly earn the confidence of the bishops, clergy, religious and faithful that he has been appointed to serve. Archbishop-Elect Grob, you are fortunate to be inheriting an archdiocese that is very, very rich in faith.”

Archbishop Listecki noted that Archbishop-Designate Grob is inheriting an archdiocese that is undergoing a renaissance, with a nearly full seminary that is embarking on an ambitious fundraising campaign. The archdiocese also has two innovative schools systems that are leading the students of the archdiocese into the future and Catholic Charities that are making an impact in all 10 counties in southeastern Wisconsin.

“I’m truly thrilled to be returning to my native Wisconsin. It’s personally a great privilege and a blessing to me,” Archbishop-Designate Grob said. “I also realize many years have passed since I left the Dairy State, and we know that nothing remains the same for very long.”

During his news conference, Archbishop-Designate Grob repeatedly returned to themes of listening, engaging and evangelizing.

“The Church is living in a historic moment,” Archbishop-Designate Grob said. “The Holy Father is calling us to pursue a path of spiritual renewal and structural reform, to make the Church more participatory and missionary, more capable of walking with every woman and man, radiating the light of Christ.”

While Archbishop-Designate Grob noted he has items to finish on his to-do list in the Archdiocese of Chicago, he will also be learning about his new archdiocese over the next two months, likening it to drinking straight from a fire hose.

“I look forward to listening intently and actively learning more about this local church that is known for its rich history and legacy,” Archbishop-Designate Grob said. “With true excitement, I come to you as the next archbishop on the heels of the Synod on Synodality and with the Jubilee Year not far off on the horizon, and it has its own call for us to be agents of hope on our own pilgrim way.”

Moments after the news conference, Archbishop-Designate Grob recorded a bilingual greeting to his soon-to-be flock, noting how excited he is at his new appointment.

His former professor at Mundelein Seminary had one more thing to ask of the next archbishop in his closing remarks.

“As the Archbishop of Milwaukee for 15 years, I have been inspired, I have been thankful and I have loved to learn this church of Milwaukee as a family,” Archbishop Listecki said. “My one prayer for you, as you assume the reins of leadership, is to lead our community toward holiness as we follow our Lord’s command to Love One Another.”