Roger Lawrence Schwietz

Schwietz was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the son of a Polish-American tavern owner. [1]Roger Schwietz was baptized on July 21, 1940. He attended a Christian Brothers’ high school in Saint Paul. On August 15, 1961, Schwietz made his profession as a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and entered their seminary.[1]

Schwietz studied at the University of Ottawa, earning an M.A. in 1964; and Loyola University in Montreal, receiving an M.A. in Counselling Psychology in 1972.

On December 20, 1967, Schwietz was ordained to the priesthood in Rome for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate,[2]

After ordination, Schwietz spent the next seven years working with seminarians in his order. He served his first year at a parish in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin in the Diocese of Milwaukee. [1] He earned his Licentiate of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1968. [3]

In 1975, Schwietz was appointed associate pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in International Falls, Minnesota. He was named Director of the College Seminary program for his religious institute in 1978 at Creighton University.[3]

In 1984, Schwietz became pastor of Holy Family Parish in Duluth, Minnesota.[3]

On December 12, 1989, Pope John Paul II appointed Schwietz as the seventh Bishop of Duluth. He was installed and consecrated on February 2, 1990 by Archbishop John Roach, with Bishops Robert Brom and Michael Pfeifer, OMI, serving as co-consecrators, in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary in Duluth.[2]

Schwietz was awarded an honorary doctorate in humanities from Lewis University in 1998.

On January 18, 2000. John Paul II named Schwietz as Coadjutor Archbishop of Anchorage, Alaska. He was installed and consecrated on March 24, 2000.[2] On March 3, 2001, John Paul II installed Schwietz as Archbishop of Anchorage, succeeding Francis Thomas Hurley. [2]

In August 2005, Schwietz refused to permit Father Andrew Szymakowski to celebrate the Tridentine Mass at the latter's parish assignment within the archdiocese.

Schwietz served as Episcopal Moderator for Teens Encounter Christ movement, having held this position since 1991. On October 2, 2006, Guzman Carriquiry, Undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, met with the Archbishop, who presented Teens Encounter Christ to the Curial dicastery. Schwietz also served as Episcopal Liaison to Region I of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains.

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Schwietz served as a consultant to the Liturgy Committee (1991–1994), member (1992–2004) and chairman (elected 1998) of the Vocation Committee, and member of the Committee on the Laity (1995–1998) and chairman of its Subcommittee on Youth (1993–1998).

Schwietz also sat on the Catholic Relief Services' Board of Directions (1997–2003) and the NCCB Administrative Board (1994–1997, 1998–2002). In 2002, he became Regional Representative on the Board for the American College in Leuven, Belgium.