Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams, of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, was introduced May 21 at a news conference as the coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, declaring he “woke up and found (himself) on the East Coast, how about that?”
“Pope Francis says our God is a God of many surprises,” Bishop Williams said at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden. “That’s been my experience of following our good Lord. This might be one of the bigger (surprises) of my life.”
Accepting a Philadelphia Phillies baseball jersey with his last name and No. 9 in honor of his anticipated succession in March as the ninth bishop of the diocese, Bishop Williams smiled while referring to the Phillies’ 34-14 record, “it’s pretty easy to get on the Phillies bandwagon. They’re hot right now.”
Ordained a bishop in January 2022 after 20 years of priestly ministry in the archdiocese where he grew up, Bishop Williams, 50, said he was surprised to receive a telephone call about his appointment May 11 from Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, but he is ready to minister in the Camden diocese alongside Bishop Dennis Sullivan.
“I have to thank my wonderful parents (Dr. Gary and Mary Williams). “First of all, they celebrated 53 years of marriage on May 1. They taught me to say yes to the God of surprises.”
Bishop Williams also cited the inspiration of his brother, Mark, who has an intellectual disability and cerebral palsy, and sharing the priesthood with his brother, Father Peter Williams, pastor of St. Ambrose in Woodbury.
“Now my parents have two sons living in Woodbury: One in Woodbury, Minnesota, and now the bishop residence here in Woodbury, New Jersey,” he said.
Bishop Williams said he is eager to minister to the people of the Diocese of Camden and to work with the priests of the diocese and others alongside Bishop Sullivan. The diocese is comprised of 2,691 square miles and has a total of 1.3 million people, of which 311,489 are Catholic.
Bishop Williams’ appointment as coadjutor bishop also confers on him the right of succession for the Diocese of Camden. Bishop Sullivan said Pope Francis recently asked him through Cardinal Pierre to remain bishop of Camden until he turns 80. That happens in March, Bishop Sullivan said.
Bishop Williams said he expects to arrive in Camden around mid-summer. There could be a welcome Mass sometime in September and “God willing, there could be an installation in March.”
Bishop Williams closed his remarks by thanking Pope Francis and Cardinal Pierre for having confidence in him. “I hope by God’s grace to be worthy of that confidence, and I promise to work hard to make Jesus known and loved here in South Jersey.”
Over the last 20 years, Bishop Williams has provided ministry to Latino Catholics in the archdiocese. He also has developed training opportunities for parishioners to embrace the work of evangelization. He is known for his closeness to his parishioners and for his love of young adult ministry.
Like Bishop Williams, Bishop Sullivan has been known for his ministry to immigrant communities, including being assigned as a priest to the Dominican Republic to continue Spanish language and culture studies in preparation for assisting the growing number of Dominicans in New York. Bishop Sullivan attended the Dominican Institute for Pastoral Adaptation in Moca, Dominican Republic, and had mission experience in Tenares, Dominican Republic. While pastor at St. Teresa in Manhattan, Bishop Sullivan ministered to Chinese immigrants.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis said that in Bishop Williams, the Camden diocese “is blessed to be receiving a gifted shepherd with an extraordinary intellect and a heart on fire for the work of evangelization.
“Bishop Williams’ ministry in the Archdiocese, first as a pastor and now as a bishop, has born phenomenal fruit,” the archbishop said in a statement. “I know that he will be missed by his brother priests and by the laity of this local Church, especially by the members of the immigrant communities that he has so generously served. I will always be grateful that the Lord blessed me with such a capable colleague just as we were preparing for our (Archdiocesan) Synod Assembly; his groundbreaking work in revitalizing parish life through small groups has been a great blessing for our Archdiocese.”
Bishop Williams was ordained a priest in 2002 by Archbishop Harry Flynn and he was pastor of several rural and urban parishes. In July 2022, Auxiliary Bishop Williams also was named moderator of the team ministry at Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul. On the archdiocesan level, he has also served as coordinator of the archdiocesan Outreach to Persons with Disabilities and as episcopal vicar for Latino ministry.
With those strong ties, leaving will be a challenge, Bishop Williams said in a statement before the news conference.
“The happiness that I am feeling at this time is not, however, unshadowed,” he said of his new appointment. “I have already begun to realize how difficult it will be to say goodbye to my family and friends and to the wonderful people of God here, especially the Latinos from whom I have experienced immense love and encouragement.”
Bishop Williams said the archdiocese is and always will be his spiritual home. “I look forward to returning to this corner of God’s garden, when I am able, to check on the ‘abundant harvest’ that is being prepared here by Archbishop Hebda, (Auxiliary) Bishop Michael Izen and the incredible priests, deacons and missionary disciples,” he said.
Archdiocesan officials said planning is underway for a Mass of Thanksgiving for Bishop Williams to be held at the Cathedral of St. Paul.
