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Bruce Lewandowski

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His Excellency, The Most Reverend
Bruce Alan Lewandowski
CSsR
Bishop of Providence
Church Catholic Church
Diocese Providence
Appointed April 8, 2025
Installed May 20, 2025
Predecessor Richard Henning
Previous post Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore and Titular Bishop of Croae (2020-2025)
Orders
Ordination May 7, 1994
by William George Curlin
Consecration August 18, 2020
by William E. Lori, Adam Parker, and John McIntyre[1]
Personal details
Born June 8, 1967
Toledo, Ohio
Denomination Roman Catholicism
Alma mater St. Alphonsus College
Washington Theological Union
Motto Because by your holy cross

Bruce Alan Lewandowski, CSsR (born June 8, 1967) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Providence since 2025. He previously was an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He is a member of the Redemptorists.

Early life

Bruce Lewandowski was born in Toledo, Ohio, on June 8, 1967, to Robert and Frances Lewandowski. He grew up on a family farm in Lima, Ohio, with his four siblings. Lewandowski attended St. Gerard Elementary School in Lima and the minor seminary at St. Mary’s College in Erie, Pennsylvania.[2] He subsequently attended Saint Alphonsus College in Suffield, Connecticut, and Holy Redeemer College in Washington, D.C.[3]

Starting in 1988, Lewandowski studied theology at Washington Theological Union in Washington. Lewandowski also learned Spanish in anticipation of being assigned to missions run by the Redemptorists in the Dominican Republic or Paraguay.[3]

Presbyteral ministry

On May 7, 1994, Lewandowski was ordained by Bishop William Curlin to the priesthood for the Redemptorist order at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.[4]

After his 1994 ordination, the Redemptorists assigned Lewandowski as parish vicar at St. Cecilia Parish in Manhattan. Two years later, they transferred him to Immaculate Conception Parish in the Bronx in New York City. He was subsequently assigned as a missionary to Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia in 1998, remaining there until 2000.[4]

The Redemptorists brought Lewandowski back to the United States to become pastor at St. Boniface Parish in Philadelphia. He then served as pastor of the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Kensington, Pennsylvania from 2006 to 2011.[4]

Lewandowski was appointed vicar for cultural ministries in Philadelphia in 2011, then in 2015 was as assigned as pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Baltimore.[5] He also became a leader in Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD),[6] and collaborated with the group in October 2018 to create a parish identity card.[7][8] This was especially beneficial for parishioners at Sacred Heart[7][8] who were undocumented immigrants.[6] Lewandowski described planned raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in June 2019, which would target immigrant communities, as "an act of domestic terrorism".[9] He became Archbishop William Lori's interim delegate for Hispanic ministry on August 22, 2019.[10]

Episcopal ministry

Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore

Lewandowski was appointed auxiliary bishop of Baltimore and titular bishop of Croae on June 10, 2020 by Pope Francis.[4][11] He was consecrated by Lori on August 18, 2020, at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore.[3][12] Lori named Lewandowski as urban vicar for the archdiocese in September 2021, succeeding Denis J. Madden.[13] He remained pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.[14]

In May 2024, Lewandowski led a large public meeting at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen that presented the archdiocese's plan to shrink the number of parishes in Baltimore from 61 to 26.[15]

Bishop of Providence

On April 8, 2025, Pope Francis appointed Lewandowski as bishop of Providence. He was installed on May 20, 2025.[16][17]

See also

References

  1. Back to citation "Most Rev. Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R". Diocese of Providence. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
  2. Back to citation "Bishop Bruce Lewandowski's formative years colored by rural pursuits". Catholic Review. September 2, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  3. Back to citation occurrence 3.0 Back to citation occurrence 3.1 Back to citation occurrence 3.2 Gunty, Christopher (June 10, 2020). "Pope names Highlandtown Redemptorist as new auxiliary bishop for Baltimore". The Catholic Review. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  4. Back to citation occurrence 4.0 Back to citation occurrence 4.1 Back to citation occurrence 4.2 Back to citation occurrence 4.3 "Resignations and Appointments". Holy See Press Office. Holy See. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  5. Back to citation Sherman, Natalie (December 27, 2015). "At Sacred Heart, goodbye to 'anchor' of Baltimore's Latino community". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 10, 2020; Lori, William E. (April 16, 2016). "Installation of Father Bruce Lewandowski". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore. Retrieved June 10, 2020; "Resignations and Appointments". Holy See Press Office. Holy See. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  6. Back to citation occurrence 6.0 Back to citation occurrence 6.1 Campbell, Colin (June 6, 2020). "Hundreds are still being turned away for coronavirus tests at a predominantly Latino church in Baltimore". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  7. Back to citation occurrence 7.0 Back to citation occurrence 7.1 Zauzmer, Julie (October 12, 2018). "Archdiocese of Baltimore will offer 'parish ID' to immigrants and others who have trouble obtaining legal ID". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  8. Back to citation occurrence 8.0 Back to citation occurrence 8.1 McKeown, Jonah (October 19, 2018). "With city support, Baltimore parish will issue IDs to undocumented parishioners". EWTN. Catholic News Agency. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  9. Back to citation Campbell, Colin (June 24, 2019). "'People are really, really afraid': Mass-deportation threat strikes fear into Baltimore immigrants". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  10. Back to citation "Father Bruce Lewandowski takes new role in the Archdiocese of Baltimore". The Redemptorists. August 20, 2019. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  11. Back to citation "Pope Appoints New Auxiliary Bishop Of Archdiocese Of Baltimore". Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  12. Back to citation "Pope Francis names new auxiliary bishop for Baltimore". EWTN. Catholic News Agency. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  13. Back to citation Matysek Jr., George P. (September 1, 2021). "Bishop Madden will step down as urban vicar, Bishop Lewandowski to succeed him". The Catholic Review. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  14. Back to citation Swift, Tim (June 13, 2020). "Baltimore parishioners overjoyed as they keep a pastor and gain a bishop". Catholic Review. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  15. Back to citation "Archdiocese of Baltimore concludes traumatic 'listening sessions'". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  16. Back to citation "Resignations and Appointments, 08.04.2025". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  17. Back to citation "'It brings the tears': RI will soon have a new bishop. Here are his plans and priorities". Retrieved April 8, 2025.
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