Archbishop William E. Lori, S.T.D.
Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus
Archbishop William E. Lori
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As supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, has the responsibility of overseeing the spiritual welfare of the Order’s 1.8 million members and their families.
On May 16, 2012 Supreme Chaplain Archbishop Lori was installed as the 16th Archbishop of Baltimore.
A native of Louisville, Ky., Archbishop 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, Archbishop Lori received his doctorate in Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Archbishop 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, Archbishop 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, Archbishop Lori was ordained to the episcopate as auxiliary bishop of Washington and titular bishop of Bulla, an ancient suffragan see in modern-day Tunisia.
Since 2001, Archbishop 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 Archbishop 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, Archbishop 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, Archbishop 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.
Archbishop Lori was elected supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus in April 2005.