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Diocese of SuperiorBishop
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Bishop James Patrick Powers

Bishop of Superior

Coat of arms
Coat of arms
Coat of arms of the U.S. bishop James Patrick Powers, Bishop of Superior. Blazon: Arms impaled. Dexter: Or, three crosses fitchy floretty Azure, the fleur-de-lis of each Argent; a chief wavy of the second. Sinister: Party per fess, Or and Gules, the fess barry wavy of two Azure and Argent; to chief a cross of the second charged with five lozenges of the fourth, between to chief dexter a trefoil Vert and to base sinister an escallop Sable; in base the head of an American Bald Eagle, erased, Prope
Born
Feb 6, 1953 Baldwin, St. Croix County, United States
Nationality
United States
Ordained priest
May 20, 1990 Hammond, WI, United States
Ordained bishop
Feb 18, 2016 Superior, United States
Appointed
Feb 18, 2016
Principal consecrator
Jerome Edward Listecki
Co-consecrators
Peter Forsyth Christensen Paul Dennis Etienne
Education
Seminaries of Saint Paul

Bishop Powers was born February 6, 1953, in Baldwin, Wisconsin. He is one of seven children born to Thomas and Frances Roberta (Bobbie) Powers, and was raised on a farm in rural Hammond, Wisconsin. He attended Hammond Grade School and St. Croix Central High School. During his college years, he attended Holy Redeemer College, the College of St. Thomas and St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, earning his B.A. in Theology. He also earned a Master of Divinity from St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul. He later attended St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada, from 1996-98 where he completed his canon law degree (J.C.L.). He was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 1990, at Immaculate Conception Church, Hammond, Wisconsin, by Bishop Raphael M. Fliss. He was appointed Associate Pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Rice Lake, and then Temporary Parochial Administrator of St. Bridget, River Falls. Later he served as Parochial Administrator of St. John the Baptist, Webster; Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Crescent Lake; and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Danbury, before returning to St. Bridget, River Falls, where he served for two years as Pastor. After spending the following two years at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada, and having received his JCL Degree, he returned to the Diocese of Superior and was appointed Pastor of St. Pius X, Solon Springs; St. Mary, Minong; and St. Anthony of Padua, Gordon, as well as Adjutant Judicial Vicar. Five years later he returned to St. Joseph, Rice Lake. After serving St. Joseph as Pastor for 11 years, the parish was clustered with Our Lady of Lourdes, Dobie; St. John the Evangelist, Birchwood; and Holy Trinity, Haugen. He continued as Pastor of this four-parish cluster for another year and a half. In addition to pastoral ministry in the parishes, he also filled the role as Spiritual Director for Teens Encounter Christ (TEC); he served on the St. Pius Priest Fund Board of Directors, the Priest Personnel Placement Board and the Presbyteral Council. On June 23, 1998, he was appointed Adjutant Judicial Vicar Vice Officialis by Bishop Raphael M. Fliss; and on November 9, 2010, he was named Vicar General by Bishop Peter F. Christensen. Return to menu APPOINTMENT AS BISHOP OF SUPERIOR He was elected Diocesan Administrator on December 19, 2014, upon Bishop Peter Christensen’s transfer to the Diocese of Boise in Idaho. On December 15, 2015, he was named Bishop of Superior. His episcopal ordination took place on February 18, 2016, at Cathedral of Christ the King, Superior, Wisconsin, with Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki, Principal Consecrator; and Bishop Peter F. Christensen and Bishop Paul D. Etienne, Co-consecrators. Return to menu.