The Most Reverend William Edward Lori, S.T.D., was installed as the Fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, CT, on March 19, 2001.

Bishop Lori visits with a member of the New Heights center in Danbury, operated by Catholic Charities. (Photo by John Glover)

Born in Louisville, KY, in 1951, Bishop Lori obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from the Seminary of Saint Pius X in Erlanger, KY, in 1973, and a Master’s Degree from Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD, in 1977. In 1982, Bishop Lori received his Doctorate in Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Bishop Lori was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Washington by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1977 in Saint Matthew Cathedral in Washington, DC. His first assignment was as Associate Pastor of Saint Joseph Parish in Landover, MD. Thereafter, he served as Secretary to James Cardinal Hickey, Chancellor, Moderator of the Curia, and Vicar General. In 1995, Bishop Lori was ordained to the episcopate as Auxiliary Bishop of Washington and Titular Bishop of Bulla.

Bishop Lori is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, and past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. In 2005, he was elected Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus. Bishop Lori is the former Chairman and current member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, Chairman of the USCCB ad-hoc Committee on Universities and Colleges, a member of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and the USCCB ad-hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage.

In 2002, in recognition of his role as an emerging leader on the Church’s response to the sexual misconduct crisis, Bishop Lori was appointed to the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse. He was instrumental in drafting the landmark Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. As one of four U.S. bishops on a special Mixed Commission, Bishop Lori journeyed to the Vatican to revise the “Essential Norms” of the Charter, which is now particular law for the Catholic Church in the U.S., to ensure that no one who works for the Catholic Church will ever pose a threat of any kind to any person, young or old.

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Bishop Lori walked with the nearly 1,800 Catholic school students and parents from the Diocese of Bridgeport at the annual Walkathon for Catholic Schools. Catholic schools and religious education are among Bishop Lori's priorities. (Photo by John Glover)

As Bishop of Bridgeport, Bishop Lori has launched new initiatives to revitalize and expand Catholic Charities and Catholic Education. Catholic Charities, the largest private social services provider in the region, provides over one million meals each year to the needy, and has embarked on new programs to assist immigrants and build affordable housing. Changes in the governance, funding, and curricula for the 39 Diocesan Catholic Schools, which educate more than 13,000 children each year, have enhanced the high level of academic achievement and faith-based education, making the dream of Catholic education a reality for every child.

Vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and religious life are a priority for Bishop Lori. Since becoming Bishop of Bridgeport in 2001, he has ordained 36 priests. There are 30 seminarians studying for the priesthood. Saint John Fisher Seminary Residence in Stamford is a thriving house of discernment and formation.

Bishop Lori has also welcomed several orders of women religious to the Diocese of Bridgeport, including the Missionaries of Charity; the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; the Institute of the Servants of the Lord and Virgin of Matára; and a new religious institute, the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of the Springs of Bridgeport. In 2004, Bishop Lori dedicated “Villa Maria Guadalupe” in Stamford, CT. The property was purchased by the Knights of Columbus. Bishop Lori invited the Sisters of Life, a religious community dedicated to protecting and advancing the sacredness of all human life, to offer pro-life retreats for individuals and families.

Newly-ordained priests of the Diocese of Bridgeport gather with their spiritual leader,
Bishop William E. Lori, at Saint Augustine Cathedral in Bridgeport, CT, after the May 16, 2009, Ordination Mass (l-r): Father Bruce Roby, Father Sean Kulacz, Father Sebastine Ukwandu, Father Francisco Gómez-Franco, Father José Ignacio Ortigas, and Father Reggie Norman. (Photo by Michelle Babyak)

Under Bishop Lori’s direction, the Diocese of Bridgeport has become a leader in the administrative and financial practices of parishes, utilizing cutting-edge, web-based technologies, internal controls, and streamlined business processes. The results have enhanced accountability and transparency in all 87 parishes, and demonstrated that the Catholic Church is committed to sound stewardship of the resources entrusted to its care.

Finally, the Sisters of the Marian Community of Reconciliation are overseeing a renewal of religious education for young people and for adults, as well as the implementation of the new, 5-year Pastoral Plan, “Following in the Footsteps of Christ,” launched in October 2006. Its mission of evangelization has been expressed in many ways, including a renewal of youth ministry (including an annual “Fan the Fire” Youth Rally); a Saint Augustine Lecture Series; and “Be Reconciled to God,” the first-ever campaign to promote the Sacrament of Reconciliation which was launched in 2009 and repeated in 2010 in all 87 parishes during the Season of Lent.

Enhanced communications are a key component of this new outreach, expressed best in Bishop Lori’s online “blog,” posted on www.BishopLoriBlog.org.