Office of the Bishop

On February 18, 2016, Bishop-elect James Patrick Powers was ordained and installed as the 11th Bishop of The Diocese of Superior.

In the Roman Catholic tradition the duty of the bishop is to be the pastor of the people in a geographical area called a diocese. This area consists of a number of parishes to which a priest is assigned to be the local pastor. The bishop has a responsibility in both directions:  to the people in his area......and to the Vatican in Rome.

The ultimate decision in appointing bishops rests with the pope, and he is free to select anyone he chooses. But how does he know whom to select?

The process for selecting candidates for the episcopacy normally begins at the diocesan level and works its way through a series of consultations until it reaches Rome. It is a process bound by strict confidentiality and involves a number of important players – the most influential being the apostolic nuncio, the Congregation for Bishops, and the pope. It can be a time consuming process, often taking eight months or more to complete. While there are distinctions between the first appointment of a priest as a bishop and a bishop's later transfer to another diocese or his promotion to archbishop, the basic outlines of the process remain the same.

Mission of the Diocese of Superior

The Catholic Diocese of Superior is a people of diverse ethnic and cultural traditions called in unity by the love of Christ to proclaim the Gospel,  celebrate the sacraments, and give witness through joyful lives  of prayer and service in Northern Wisconsin and throughout the world.