MILWAUKEE — Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Jeffrey S. Grob will succeed former Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki in 2025, the Vatican announced Monday.
Listecki signed his letter of resignation in March on his 75th birthday. Bishops must retire at the age of 75 due to laws governing the Catholic Church. The Vatican also announced they accepted the resignation.
Listecki had been Archbishop of Milwaukee for 14 years.
Now, those shoes will be filled by someone new.
“Pope Francis has blessed the entire Southeastern Wisconsin community with his selection of Bishop Grob, whom I have known for years,” said Apostolic Administrator Listecki of the appointment.
Grob will be the 12th Archbishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He’ll begin the role Jan. 14, 2025, when he’s installed by the Papal Nuncio to the United States, Cardinal Christophe Pierre.
“While still recovering from the surprise of the Holy Father’s appointment, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to take up this new role in my home state,” said Archbishop-Designate Grob in a press release statement. “And trusting deeply in the Lord’s goodness, I commit myself to the service of the people of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. I am excited to get to know them and look forward to growing together in faith.”
Grob, who was born in Madison, Wis., grew up on a dairy farm. Returning to Wisconsin feels like a homecoming of sorts.
“It feels comfortable. That feeling helps to offset the whole learning curve, the anxiety and everything that goes with it. Because in a sense, I am coming back, in many ways, to people I believe I know,” he said.
He said he is particularly excited to meet the people he will be leading and working with.
“For me, it’s meeting people. Regardless of their state, it doesn’t matter. To me personally, I’m the archbishop, that’s nice, I have a title, a role to play. But, there’s the basic reality of meeting people face-to-face, where they’re at. Hopefully to get to know them and for them to get to know me,” he said.
He has served as the bishop of Abora and auxiliary of Chicago since Sept. 2020.
But he joined the Archdiocese of Chicago long before that. He was ordained a priest there in 1992 and held many roles, including assistant chancellor, judge of the Court of Appeal of the Ecclesiastical Province of Chicago and more.
“For more than 30 years, the Archdiocese of Chicago and the People of God have been the beneficiaries of Bishop Jeffery Grob’s compassion, scholarship and commitment to service,” said Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, regarding Grob’s departure to Milwaukee. “Pope Francis has recognized Bishop Grob’s extraordinary gifts and is returning him to his native Wisconsin as leader of the Milwaukee archdiocese. Our deep gratitude and prayers go with him as he continues to follow Jesus and bring grace to the fortunate people of his new archdiocese.”
Prior to finding himself in Chicago, Grob studied in Madison at Holy Name High School Seminary. Later in life, he earned a religious studies degree from Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. Afterwards, he earned a Master of Divinity from Mundelein Seminary.
Grob has known Listecki for many years; he was one of Listecki's students in seminary.
“He’s a very gifted, a very generous and holy man. He has much to teach and I am hoping to drink in as much of that as I can,” Grob said.