Archbishop Emeritus of Anchorage 

Archbishop Emeritus Schwietz was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on July 3, 1940.  A member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate since his first profession of vows on August 15, 1961, he was ordained to the priesthood in Rome on December 20, 1967.  He was consecrated Bishop of Duluth at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary on February 2, 1990, and Archbishop of Anchorage on March 3, 2001.  He retired and assumed the title of Emeritus on November 9, 2016.

Archbishop Emeritus Schwietz spent his first seven years as an OMI priest working with seminarians for the Oblates.  He then served as associate pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in International Falls, Minnesota from 1975-1978.  In 1978, Archbishop Schwietz was named Director of the College Seminary Program for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.  Six years later, in 1984, he became pastor of Holy Family Parish in Duluth, Minnesota, after which he was appointed by Pope John Paul II as the seventh Bishop of Duluth on December 12, 1989.  On January 18, 2000, he was appointed the Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Anchorage and succeeded to the See on March 3, 2001.  He retired on November 9, 2016.

In addition to an undergraduate degree in Philosophy, he earned an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Ottawa, an S.T.L. in Sacred Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome, and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University.  Archbishop Schwietz was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree from Lewis University in 1998.

Since being named a bishop, Archbishop Schwietz has held several positions within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).  He most recently served as Chair of one of the five “super committees” at the USCCB overseeing Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.  In that role, he served as the liaison between the National Advisory Council to the United States Bishops and the USCCB.

Archbishop Schwietz also holds emeritus status with the Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) movement, a program that encourages young adults to learn about and be challenged by their faith.  He served, from 1991 - 2009, as the Episcopal Moderator for TEC.  Over the years he has witnessed lives changed and vocations develop because of the three-day TEC weekend.

Archbishop Schwietz is currently the Archbishop in Residence at St. Andrew Parish in Eagle River, Alaska.  In his free time, Archbishop Schwietz takes full advantage of the unique opportunities to experience nature that life in Alaska offers.  He is an avid fisherman and enjoys traveling throughout Alaska.