David John Walkowiak J.C.D. | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Grand Rapids | |
 Bishop Walkowiak (right) at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Grand Rapids, Michigan (2015) | |
| Province | Detroit |
| See | Grand Rapids |
| Appointed | April 18, 2013 |
| Installed | June 18, 2013 |
| Predecessor | Walter Allison Hurley |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 9, 1979 by James A. Hickey |
| Consecration | June 18, 2013 by Allen Henry Vigneron,Richard Lennon, andWalter A. Hurley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1953-06-18)June 18, 1953 (age 72) |
| Nationality | American |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Alma mater | University of Notre Dame Saint Mary Seminary Catholic University of America |
| Motto | Gratitas agite Domino (Give thanks to the Lord) (Psalm 118:1) |
| Styles of David John Walkowiak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
The Most ReverendDavid John Walkowiak,J.C.D. (born June 18, 1953) is an Americanprelate of theRoman Catholic Church who has been serving as the twelfth bishop of theDiocese of Grand Rapids in Michigan since 2013.[1]
David Walkowiak was born inEast Cleveland, Ohio, on June 18, 1953, to Dr. John and Virginia Walkowiak. He has three sisters, and the family is of Polish descent.[2] He attended Saint Bernadette school inWestlake, Ohio and thenSaint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] Walkowiak earned aBachelor of Arts in government and international studies from theUniversity of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, in 1975.
Walkowiak enteredSaint Mary Seminary in Wickliffe, Ohio, soon after his college graduation. He received aMaster of Divinity from Saint Mary in 1979.
Walkowiak was ordained to the priesthood at theCathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland by BishopJames Aloysius Hickey for theDiocese of Cleveland on June 9, 1979.[1][3]
After his 1979 ordination, the diocese assigned Walkowiak aspastoral vicar of Saint Mary Parish inLorain, Ohio, where he would remain for the next four years. In 1984, he enteredCatholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Walkowiak received aLicentiate of Canon Law in 1984 and aDoctor of Canon Law in 1987.[1]
After Walkowiak returned to Cleveland in 1988, BishopAnthony Michael Pilla appointed him asvice-chancellor and as a professor ofcanon law at Saint Mary Seminary. In 2006, Walkowiak was also appointed as pastor of Saint Joan of Arc Parish inChagrin Falls, Ohio.[1] He also served as a member of the council of priests and as an associate judge of the court of appeals.[1]
On April 18, 2013,Pope Francis accepted the resignation of BishopWalter A. Hurley of Grand Rapids and appointed Walkowiak as his successor. He was consecrated by ArchbishopAllen Henry Vigneron on June 18, 2013, at theCathedral of Saint Andrew in Grand Rapids. Assisting Vigneron asco-consecrators were Bishop Hurley, Apostolic NuncioCarlo Maria Viganò, and twenty other American bishops.[1][3]
Walkowiak released a statement on November 27, 2019 supporting the decision of Reverend Scott Nolan, pastor of St. Stephen Parish inEast Grand Rapids, Michigan, to withhold theEucharist from Sara Smolenski. A town judge, Smolenski told the local media that Nolan notified her before mass that she could not receive communion because of hersame-sex marriage. She also said that Nolan had given her communion the week before.[4][5]
On May 27, 2021, Walkowiak announced that Pope Francis hadlaicized Reverend William Langlois. The diocese had received allegations in 2018 that Langlois hadsexually abused a parishioner when they were a minor between 1999 and 2006. The diocese immediately suspended Langlois, notified local authorities, and started an internal investigation.[6]
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