Pope Francis has appointed Reverend Monsignor Edward M. Lohse, as Bishop-elect of Kalamazoo. His episcopal ordination and installation will take place on Tuesday, July 25, 2023 (Read more on the Diocese of Kalamazoo website)
Statement from Bishop Robert Gruss, Bishop of Saginaw:
"As the Diocese of Kalamazoo prepares for the ordination and installation of their new Shepherd, I would like to welcome Bishop-elect Lohse and share my congratulations and prayers. I look forward to meeting him and serving alongside him as a Michigan bishop. I invite the faithful of the Diocese of Saginaw to join me in praying for Bishop-elect Lohse as he prepares for his new ministry, pastoral care of the people of the Diocese of Kalamazoo.
“In the Diocese of Saginaw, we join the faithful of the Diocese of Kalamazoo in giving thanks for Bishop Paul Bradley and his many years of generous ministry. We wish him all the best in this next chapter of his life.”
Photo of Bishop-elect Lohse courtesy of Diocese of Kalamazoo
Bishop-elect Lohse Bio (USCCB)
Monsignor Lohse was born November 23, 1961, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He received a Bachelor’s degree in history (1984) from Gannon University in Erie, as well as a Master of Divinity (1988) and a Doctor of Divinity (2010) from Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe. He received a License in Canon Law (2002) and a Doctorate in Canon Law (2015) from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood on April 21, 1989. He was named a Chaplain to His Holiness with the title of Monsignor in 2015.
Bishop-elect Lohse’s assignments after ordination include: parochial vicar at Saint Thomas the Apostle parish in Corry (1989-1990); a member of the faculty and campus ministry at Central Catholic Junior-Senior High School (now Dubois Central Catholic School) in DuBois (1990-1995); and a member of the adjunct faculty (1993 and 1996) and acting university chaplain (1997-1999) at Gannon University in Erie. He has also served the Diocese of Erie in a number of roles, including director of the diocesan vocations office (1995-2000), vice chancellor (2001-2007), and chancellor (2007-2010).
From 2010-2015, he served as an official in the Dicastery for the Clergy at the Vatican, and as an adjunct faculty member at the Pontifical North American College (2011-2015) in Rome. Upon his return to the Diocese of Erie in 2016, he served as episcopal vicar for canonical services until 2017 when he was named vicar general and moderator of the curia, and as the director for the diocesan Office for the Protection of Children and Youth, which are roles he currently holds.
Bishop-elect Lohse has been a member of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (1995-2000 and 2002-2010); the Canon Law Society of America (2002 to present); a member of the Board of Regents at Saint Vincent Seminary (2003-2010); a member of the Cathedral Preparatory School’s Academic Excellence Foundation (2003-2009); and a member of the Board of Trustees at Gannon University (2016 to present). He speaks Italian and German.
The Diocese of Kalamazoo is comprised of 5,337 square miles in the State of Michigan and has a total population of 966,198, of which 77,819 are Catholic.