Scranton native named bishop in Michigan

Mark Guydish, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·3 min read

Dec. 22—SCRANTON — A Scranton native who has served broadly in the diocese, Jeffrey Walsh has been named as Bishop of Gaylord, Michigan.

Born in 1965, Walsh graduated from Scranton central High School and from the University of Scranton in 1987. He completed priestly studies at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., earning a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained in Scranton in 1994

Walsh went on to receive a Master of Arts in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University in 1999 and a Master of Social Work from Marywood University in 2010.

He has served in the Diocese of Scranton ever since. Upon ordination he became assistant pastor at Saint Rose of Lima Church, Carbondale and the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Scranton. In July 1999 he was made pastor at Saint Mary of the Lake Church, Lake Winola, as well as Director of Spiritual and Liturgical Formation at Saint Pius X Seminary. From July 2004-July 2006, he served as pastor at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Tunkhannock, until being appointed to serve as Episcopal Vicar for the Eastern Pastoral Region of the Diocese of Scranton.

In 2008 Bishop-elect Walsh became administrator of Saint Rita Church, Gouldsboro, and in 2009 was appointed administrator of Saint Anthony, Saint Bridget and Saint John the Baptist parishes in Throop. In July 2010 Walsh was appointed to serve as pastor at the Church of Saint John, East Stroudsburg.

In January 2015 he was appointed Episcopal Vicar for Clergy by Bishop Joseph Bambera. During his tenure in that role he also served as Sacramental Minister for Our Lady of the Eucharist Parish, Pittston. In July 2020, he was appointed pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and Saint Rose of Lima Parish, Carbondale.

He has also served as Director of Religious Formation at the former Sacred Heart High School in Carbondale and the former Bishop Hannan High School in Scranton, chaplain at Saint Michael's School, chaplain to the deaf community, Diocesan vocations director, director of youth and young adult retreats at Fatima Center, Diocesan Deputy Secretary for Catholic Human Services, and as member of the Board of Directors of the Notre Dame Regional School System.

"With gratitude to our Holy Father Pope Francis, and joy in the Lord, I am eager to begin a new chapter in my life of discipleship among the good people of the Diocese of Gaylord!" Walsh said in a media release from the Diocese of Scranton. "I am also most grateful to God for 27 years of priestly ministry in the Diocese of Scranton. I have been inspired and challenged to grow in faith through various diocesan assignments and will forever prayerfully remember all the lay faithful, religious, deacons, priests and bishops with whom and for whom I have served."

Bambera greeted the news "with pride and gratitude," saying the announcement "brings great joy in the Diocese of Scranton as the Holy Father has chosen a native son, nurtured and formed locally, to the office of episcopal leadership and service in the Church. Having known and served alongside Father Walsh for many years, he has shown himself to be a caring, compassionate and skilled pastor."

In a separate media release, University of Scranton President the Rev. Joseph G. Marina joined in "congratulating Bishop-elect Walsh on this joyful news as he prepares to begin this important episcopal ministry in the Great Lakes region of Michigan."