Bishop William E. Lori, S.T.D.

Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus

Bishop William E. Lori 300 DPI Image

As supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., has the responsibility of overseeing the spiritual welfare of the Order’s 1.7 million members and their families.

A native of Louisville, Ky., 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 Cardinal William Baum on May 14, 1977, in St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington, D.C. His first assignment was as associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Landover, Md., a position he held for five years. Thereafter, Bishop Lori held a number of official chancery positions in the archdiocese, including vicar general, moderator of the Curia, and secretary to Cardinal James Hickey.

In 1995, Bishop Lori was ordained to the episcopate as auxiliary bishop of Washington and titular bishop of Bulla, an ancient suffragan see in modern-day Tunisia.

Bishop Lori is chairman of the board of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., and of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Since 2001, Bishop Lori has been a member of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities and the Committee on Doctrine of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In 2002, President George W. Bush invited Bishop Lori to join the President's Committee on Mental Retardation.

In 2002, in recognition of his role as an emerging leader in 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 has now become particular law for the Catholic Church in the United States 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.

Bishop Lori was elected supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus in April 2005.