Tucson Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger has been reassigned by Pope Francis to serve as archbishop of Detroit.
Weisenburger, an advocate for immigrant rights and environmental issues, has been the leader of the Diocese of Tucson since 2017.
“Archbishop-elect Weisenburger will be greatly missed as he has served our diocese generously and with the care of a good shepherd since his arrival in 2017. His prayerful leadership over these past seven years has benefitted our Catholic community in many ways,” said a written statement Tuesday from the diocese. “He will be remembered for his zeal for vocations, for deepening the faith of the young, and his concern for our struggling parishes.”
Bishop Edward Weisenburger
In a news conference early Tuesday in Detroit, Weisenburger, 64, said he appreciated his time in Tucson and expects to stay in Detroit for the foreseeable future. He was unaware he would be transferring until he received a phone call about ten days ago.
He also discussed his goal to create relationships and deep connections within parishes to not only increase attendance, but develop a sense of community.
“One of the great challenges that we’re facing right now is a breakdown in community,” Weisenburger said in the news conference.
In Tucson, he worked with asylum seekers and learned about their suffering and experiences with migration. He said the Latino community showed him how to rise above challenges and “celebrate god’s love for us and redemption.”
While Weisenburger said he believes the number of incoming migrants is unsustainable, he also said the system is “profoundly broken” and the fix cannot be to “build a taller wall” or refuse aid.
“In our culture when we don’t have to see that person, when we don’t have to see that crisis, we can kind of close our minds to it, but I don’t think a Christian can do that,” Weisenburger said during the news conference, referring to the Trump Administration’s plans to dismantle USAID.
His Episcopal motto is “Ecce Agnus Dei”, or Behold the Lamb of God, because it represents his task of viewing all human beings as being “created in the image of god.” A wealthy and blessed nation providing for the world’s poorest communities is an important part of the U.S., he said.
“It’s in our DNA as an American people,” Weisenburger said. “And I hope that we never stray far from that.
In 2018, Weisenburger suggested “canonical penalties“ — such as denying communion — for Catholics who participated in the first Trump administration’s policy of separating immigrant families
That stance, however, did not gain traction with other Catholic bishops.
More recently Weisenburger has been vocal about environmental issues and climate change.
“The transition to a clean energy economy will not always be easy, but the sacrifices we make today will have a profound impact on this beautiful world — even as they reveal our commitment to our children and future generations,” Weisenburger wrote in a guest opinion published in the Star in 2023.
“Faith teaches me that we have a moral duty to create a healthier, safer world. Hope inspires me to action.”
Weisenburger is a native of Illinois and served as a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Prior to his arrival in Tucson he was the bishop of Salina, Kansas.
He graduated with honors from Conception Seminary College in Missouri in 1983 and studied , Theology, Religious Studies and Moral and Religious Sciences in Belgium until 1987. He also earned a J.C.L degree in canon law in 1992 from University of St. Paul in Ottowa, Canada.
Weisenburger’s installation in Detroit is set to take place on March 18,.
His farewell Mass in Tucson will be at 2 p.m. March 2, at St. Augustine Cathedral downtown.
Once Weisenburger leaves for his new post in Detroit, an administrator for the Tucson diocese will take over until a new bishop is named.
“The experience of seven years of seeing the incredible work done by people of Tucson and Catholic Community Services for our immigrants, our brothers and sisters, is a powerful witness that I’ll always carry,” Weisenburger said Tuesday.
