Joseph M. Siegel
Encyclopedia
Joseph M. Siegel is an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is currently serving as an auxiliary bishop
of the Diocese of Joliet.
, Illinois
, to Francis and Marie Siegel. He was raised on a farm in Lockport Township
. He was baptized at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus and attended the parish grammar school. He attended St. Charles Borromeo High School Seminary in Romeoville
from 1977 to 1980, and continued his studies at St. Meinrad Seminary College
in Indiana
, where he graduated magna cum laude
with a degree in history in 1984.
He completed his seminary formation at the Pontifical North American College
in Rome
between 1984 and 1988. He earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology
degree cum laude from the Pontifical Gregorian University
in 1987, and continued his theological studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. He was ordained
to the diaconate
by Cardinal William W. Baum on April 14, 1988, at St. Peter's Basilica
.
Following his return to Illinois, Siegel was ordained to the priesthood
by Bishop Joseph L. Imesch
on June 4, 1988. After his ordination, he completed his studies in systematic theology
at the University of St. Mary of the Lake
in Mundelein
, earning a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
in 1990. His first assignment was as a parochial vicar
at St. Isidore Church in Bloomingdale
, where he remained until 1994. He then served at St. Mary Immaculate Church in Plainfield
(1994-1998); St. Mary Nativity Church in Joliet (1998-2000); and the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus, where he also served as diocesan master of ceremonies
. He became pastor
of Visitation Church in Elmhurst
in 2004.
Siegel was a member of the Presbyteral Council for nine years, including three years as chairman, and was appointed to the Diocesan Board of Consultors. He also served as director of Continuing Formation for Priests, a member of the Diocesan Vocation Board, the Priest Personnel Board, and dean of Eastern Will County. Within the Catholic Conference of Illinois, he served on the Executive Committee as a priest representative and was chairman of the Catholics for Life Department. He chaired the Steering Committee for the Joliet Diocesan Year of the Eucharist and Eucharistic Congress, and is a member of the Bishops Respect Life Advisory Board. He is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus
and a member of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre
.
On October 28, 2009, Siegel was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Joliet and Titular Bishop
of Pupiana by Pope Benedict XVI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on January 19, 2010 from Bishop J. Peter Sartain, with Bishops Joseph L. Imesch and Frank J. Dewane
serving as co-consecrators
, at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus. He selected as his episcopal motto
: In Te Domine Speravi.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He is currently serving as an auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of the Diocese of Joliet.
Biography
The youngest of nine children, Joseph Siegel was born in JolietJoliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, to Francis and Marie Siegel. He was raised on a farm in Lockport Township
Lockport Township, Will County, Illinois
Lockport Township is located in Will County, Illinois. The population was 42,048 at the 2000 census.- External links :****- Academic Institutions :* Lockport Township High School...
. He was baptized at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus and attended the parish grammar school. He attended St. Charles Borromeo High School Seminary in Romeoville
Romeoville, Illinois
Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,153 at the 2000 census. As of 2006 the population has grown to 36,837. It is located in the southwest suburban area of Chicago near the newly constructed I-355 extension south from the Stevenson Expressway to I-80...
from 1977 to 1980, and continued his studies at St. Meinrad Seminary College
Saint Meinrad School of Theology
The Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology is located in Saint Meinrad in southern Indiana and is affiliated with the St. Meinrad Archabbey, which itself is affiliated with Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland...
in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, where he graduated magna cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
with a degree in history in 1984.
He completed his seminary formation at the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
between 1984 and 1988. He earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology
Bachelor of Sacred Theology
The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is a graduate-level academic degree in theology.The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is offered by a number of Pontifical Universities. It is sometimes offered as a graduate degree, for students who have already completed a B.A. or other first degree...
degree cum laude from the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
in 1987, and continued his theological studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. He was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the diaconate
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
by Cardinal William W. Baum on April 14, 1988, at St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
.
Following his return to Illinois, Siegel was ordained to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Bishop Joseph L. Imesch
Joseph Leopold Imesch
Joseph Leopold Imesch is an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Joliet from 1979 to 2006.-Biography:...
on June 4, 1988. After his ordination, he completed his studies in systematic theology
Systematic theology
In the context of Christianity, systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs...
at the University of St. Mary of the Lake
University of Saint Mary of the Lake
University of Saint Mary of the Lake, also called Mundelein Seminary, is the principal seminary and school of theology for the formation of priests in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, governed from Chicago, Illinois in the United States. It is recognized as the first institution of higher...
in Mundelein
Mundelein, Illinois
Mundelein is a village in Lake County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 31,064.-History:The community now known as Mundelein has been inhabited since at least 1650, when the Potowatami Indians were known to have been trading with French fur traders....
, earning a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
in 1990. His first assignment was as a parochial vicar
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St. Isidore Church in Bloomingdale
Bloomingdale, Illinois
Bloomingdale is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, approximately 25 miles west of Chicago. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, where he remained until 1994. He then served at St. Mary Immaculate Church in Plainfield
Plainfield, Illinois
Plainfield is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2007 special census, the population is 37,334.The Village includes land in Plainfield and Wheatland townships. Part of Plainfield is located in Kendall County...
(1994-1998); St. Mary Nativity Church in Joliet (1998-2000); and the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus, where he also served as diocesan master of ceremonies
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
. He became pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Visitation Church in Elmhurst
Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois. The population is 46,013 as of the 2008 US Census population estimate.-History:...
in 2004.
Siegel was a member of the Presbyteral Council for nine years, including three years as chairman, and was appointed to the Diocesan Board of Consultors. He also served as director of Continuing Formation for Priests, a member of the Diocesan Vocation Board, the Priest Personnel Board, and dean of Eastern Will County. Within the Catholic Conference of Illinois, he served on the Executive Committee as a priest representative and was chairman of the Catholics for Life Department. He chaired the Steering Committee for the Joliet Diocesan Year of the Eucharist and Eucharistic Congress, and is a member of the Bishops Respect Life Advisory Board. He is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
and a member of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre
Order of the Holy Sepulchre
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a Roman Catholic order of knighthood under the protection of the pope. It traces its roots to Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, principal leader of the First Crusade...
.
On October 28, 2009, Siegel was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Joliet and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Pupiana by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on January 19, 2010 from Bishop J. Peter Sartain, with Bishops Joseph L. Imesch and Frank J. Dewane
Frank Joseph Dewane
Frank Joseph Dewane is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the second and current Bishop of Venice in Florida.-Biography:...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus. He selected as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: In Te Domine Speravi.