Welcome Bishop Joseph Williams!

There are significant changes underway for Catholics in the Diocese of Camden.  With the passing of Pope Francis I, we now have a new Pope, Pius XIV, who is also the first American Pope and the first Augustinian to hold the Papacy first established by Jesus Christ upon St. Peter the Apostle.  

Prior to that, the Diocese of Camden welcomed a new Bishop, the Most Reverend Joseph Williams.  Pope Francis appointed him as Coadjutor Bishop for our Diocese on 21 May 2024 and he served along with our retiring Bishop Dennis Sullivan during this important transition period.  On 17 March 2025, he was officially installed as the Ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Camden.  

From the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Pine Barrens to Delaware Bay, the Diocese of Camden brings the love of God, the saving power of Jesus and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to the people of South Jersey.   The Diocese of Camden was established on 9 December 1937 by Pope Pius XI and includes the six southernmost counties of New Jersey.  Previously this region had been administered by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.   The diocese’s first Bishop was Bishop Bartholomew J. Eustace.

Bishop Williams comes to us from Minnesota.  He was born in Minnesota in May 1974 and was educated in parochial and public schools.  He earned his Bachelors of Science in Biology from the University of Minnesota, Morris, graduating summa cum laude in 1996. He studied philosophy and pre-theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, from 1996-1998.  He earned his Master of Divinity degree from The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul in 2002. He was ordained a priest at age 28 for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in 2002. In January 2022, he was ordained as an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese. Bishop Williams has worked extensively in ministry for Latino Catholics.    His brother Peter is also a priest.  

Bishop Williams assumes the helm of the Diocese of Camden at a difficult time in the Diocese’s history.  Like too many dioceses in the United States, Diocese of Camden is struggling with past acts of clergy abuse.  In March 2024, a Federal bankruptcy judge approved a $87.5 million settlement for victims of  sexual abuse committed by clergy of the Diocese of Camden.  At present, the New Jersey State Attorney General is trying to get the NJ State Supreme Court to authorize a Grand Jury investigation of the Diocese for past clergy abuse, even though a State Superior Court and a State Appellate Court both ruled that doing so was an inappropriate use of the Grand Jury system.  Earlier this month, Bishop Williams announced that the Diocese would no longer contest the State Attorney General’s efforts to empanel a Grand Jury investigation.  

Bishop Williams is inheriting difficulties that he did not create.  He must now deal with mistakes made by Diocesan leaders decades ago.  In addition, like many American dioceses, the Camden Diocese is facing a decreasing number of priests which has resulted in parish mergers and church closures.  My own home parish merged over ten years ago with a nearby parish.  Declining enrollments have also forced the closure of a number of parochial schools.

Nevertheless, the Camden Diocese is a vibrant and integral part of Catholicism in New Jersey and the Mid-Atlantic region.  The Diocese includes many outstanding priests, vibrant Campus Ministries at several universities in our area including my alma mater (and my wife’s too), diverse ministries, and a very active Knights of Columbus network.  Despite some school closures, the Diocese’s parochial schools are strong and active.  The Diocese does have its problems but the Diocese also has a strong faith team with a deep bench and loyal and supportive parishioners.   

The faithful of the Camden Diocese now have a new Pope and a new Bishop.  May the Holy Spirit guide them both as they guide our Church through these challenging times and work to bring the light of the Gospel and the love of God to our world and our Church and the Camden Diocese.  In Christ our Lord’s Name. Amen.