Wilton Daniel Gregory
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| The Most Reverend Wilton Daniel Gregory |
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| Archbishop of Atlanta | |
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| See | Atlanta |
| Enthroned | January 17, 2005 |
| Predecessor | John Francis Donoghue |
| Successor | incumbent |
| Ordination | May 9, 1973 |
| Consecration | December 13, 1983 |
| Other | Bishop of Belleville (1994-2004) Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago (1983-1994) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 7, 1947 Chicago, Illinois |
Wilton Daniel Gregory (born December 7, 1947) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of Atlanta, having previously served as Bishop of Belleville, Illinois from 1993 to 2004. Prior to his appointment to Belleville, he was an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1983 to 1993.
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[edit] Early Life and ministry
He was born in Chicago to Wilton and Ethel (née Duncan) Gregory.[1] Attending Catholic schools in Chicago, he became attracted to the priesthood before he converted to Catholicism, which he did at age 11.[citation needed] He studied at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Niles College, and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary before being ordained as a priest on May 9, 1973 by John Cardinal Cody.
After receiving a doctorate in Sacred Liturgy in 1980 from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome, Gregory did pastoral work in Glenview at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, taught at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary, and served as a Master of Ceremonies under Cardinals Cody and Bernardin. On October 31, 1983 he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago and Titular Bishop of Oliva. Gregory received his episcopal consecration on the following December 13 from Cardinal Bernardin, with Bishops Alfred Abramowicz and Nevin Hayes, O. Carm, serving as co-consecrators.
[edit] Bishop of Belleville
Gregory remained in Chicago until December 29, 1993, when he was appointed the seventh Bishop of Belleville; he was installed on February 10, 1994.
From 2001 to 2004, Gregory served as the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the first African American ever to head an episcopal conference, having previously served as Vice President and also Chairman of several committees. During his presidency, the American bishops issued the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" in response to sexual abuse cases. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at The Catholic University of America. On April 25, 2002, in recognition of his handling of the sex abuse scandal, he was chosen as Time's Person of the Week.[2]
[edit] Archbishop of Atlanta
| Styles of Wilton Daniel Gregory |
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| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
| Posthumous style | not applicable |
Pope John Paul II, in one of his last episcopal appointments before his death, named Bishop Gregory the seventh Archbishop of Atlanta on December 9, 2004, and his installation took place on January 17, 2005.
Before deciding to elevate Archbishop Daniel DiNardo of Houston to the Sacred College of Cardinals in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI had reportedly considered Archbishop Gregory for that honor. If he eventually receives the red hat in a future consistory, he will become the first African-American prelate (and first Archbishop of Atlanta) to do so.
In late October 2007 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and had surgery in November of that same year.
He writes a bi-weekly column for the Georgia Bulletin titled "What I have Seen and Heard" [3].
[edit] Recognition
He has been awarded honorary doctorates of humane letters from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Xavier University in Cincinnati, and McKendree University in Lebanon, and doctorates in humanities from Lewis University in Romeoville and Saint Louis University in St. Louis.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] External links
- Biography of Archbishop Gregory from the Archdiocese of Atlanta
- National Black Catholic Congress biography of Wilton Gregory
- National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus biography of Wilton Gregory
| Preceded by John Francis Donoghue |
Archbishop of Atlanta 2005– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by James Patrick Keleher |
Bishop of Belleville 1994–2004 |
Succeeded by Edward Kenneth Braxton |
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