James Thomas Schuerman (born April 5, 1957) is an American

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

who has been serving as auxiliary bishop of the

Archdiocese of Milwaukee The Archdiocese of Milwaukee ( la, Archidiœcesis Milvauchiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, a ...

in Wisconsin since 2017.

Biography

Early life

Born in

Burlington, Wisconsin Burlington is a city in Racine and Walworth counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, with the majority of the city located in Racine County. The population of the city was 11,047 as of the 2020 census. History Prior to the arrival of Europea ...

, to Robert and Elizabeth Schuerman, James Schuerman grew up in

Lyons, Wisconsin Lyons is a town in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,648 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Lyons and Springfield are located within the town. History It was originally created as Hudson by ...

. He was a member of St. Joseph Parish, and attended St. Joseph’s Grade School, Burlington Junior High School, and Burlington High School. Schuerman has four siblings: Virginia Kalaveshi, Robert Schuerman, Jr., Theresa Schuerman and David Schuerman. Schuerman attended Saint Francis de Sales Seminary College in Milwaukee from 1976 to 1980, earning a Bachelor degree. He spent one more year at St. Francis de Sales before being sent to the

University of Innsbruck The University of Innsbruck (german: Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck; la, Universitas Leopoldino Franciscea) is a public research university in Innsbruck, the capital of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, founded on October 15, 1669. ...

in Innsbruck Austria. He earned his

Master of Theology Master of Theology ( la, Theologiae Magister, abbreviated MTh, ThM, or MTheol) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a PhD program or as a stand ...

degree at the university.

Priesthood

On May 17, 1986, Schuerman was ordained to the priesthood. His first assignment after ordination was as associate pastor at St. Anthony Parish in Milwaukee, remaining there until 1992. Schuerman was then selected for

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

service at the archdiocesan sister parish, La Sagrada Familia, in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

, working there from 1992 to 1996. In August 1996, Schuerman enrolled in a graduate program at

Catholic Theological Union Catholic Theological Union (CTU) is a private Roman Catholic graduate school of theology in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the largest Catholic graduate schools of theology in the English speaking world and trains men and women for lay and ordai ...

in Chicago for returning missionaries, earning a

Doctor of Ministry The Doctor of Ministry (abbreviated DMin or D.Min.) is a professional doctorate, often including a research component, that may be earned by a minister of religion while concurrently engaged in some form of ministry. It is categorized as an advanced ...

degree in spirituality. In 1997, he joined the faculty of Saint Francis de Sales Seminary as spiritual director and faculty member.. In 2009, Schuerman left Saint Francis to become administrator of St. Andrew Parish in

Delavan, Wisconsin Delavan is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,505 at the 2020 census. It is located southwest of Milwaukee. The city is located partially within the Town of Delavan, but the two entities are politically i ...

and then pastor at St. Andrew Parish in 2010. From 2011 to 2012, he also served as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in

Elkhorn, Wisconsin Elkhorn is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located southwest of Milwaukee. As of the 2020 census, it was home to 10,247 people, up from 10,084 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat. Geography Elkhorn is located ...

. In 2012, Schuerman became pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Lake Geneva is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located in Walworth County and situated on Geneva Lake, it is home to an estimated 8,105 people as of 2019, up from 7,651 at the 2010 census. It is located about 40 miles southwest of Milwa ...

, and administrator of Holy Cross Parish in Bristol, Wisconsin. He continued his role in priest formation, serving as adjunct spiritual director for Saint Francis de Sales Seminary. Schuerman speaks German and is fluent in Spanish. He received the archdiocesan Vatican II Award for Service to the Priesthood in 2012.

Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

appointed Schuerman as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on January 25, 2017. On March 17, 2017, Schuerman was consecrated as a bishop.

References

External links