MILWAUKEE — Draped in the pomp and pageantry fitting of a royal coronation, the installation of Archbishop Jeffrey Grob officially began the tenure of the twelfth man to lead the nine-county ecclesiastical territory that is the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
Grob is no stranger to the culture of Wisconsin. The 63-year-old Town of Dane native and former Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Chicago made that point known at multiple points throughout his homily during the installation service Tuesday, finding time for humor admist the serious nature of the proceedings.
“”What a singular privilege it is to be called back home, to the land of fish fries and supper clubs and brandy Old Fashioneds,” said Grob to the gathered mass of media, invited guests and hundreds of bishops from across the country.

Grob also took time to acknowledge the work of his predecessor Jerome Listecki. The Chicago-native had led the Archdiocese of Milwaukee since 2010, after a five year tenure as the leader of the Diocese of La Crosse.
“The applause he received earlier in this mass is well deserved…you have accomplished many great deeds in the face of any number of daunting challenges.” said Grob to Listecki.

“We are your ‘problem’ now.”
Among the daunting challenges for the outgoing Archbishop was the ongoing scandal of sexual abuse committed by clergy members for decades within the chruch. Listecki was notably criticized in 2010 by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests for allowing retired archbishops Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee and Daniel Edward Pilarczyk of Cincinnati, who were implicated in covering up of cases of sexual abuse, to say Mass at St. John’s Cathedral in Milwaukee.
Additionally, there’s also the lingering ramifications of the Archdiocese filing for bankruptcy in 2011 due to unresolved claims by abuse survivors. Last October, Judge Michael Halfenger denied Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul’s request to review the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s sealed bankruptcy records as part of his investigation into clergy sex abuse.
READ MORE: Judge rules the Archdiocese’s bankruptcy case will stay closed
Monday night organizers with Nate’s Mission, the largest national organization of clergy sexual abuse survivors and advocates, gathered outside the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist demanding acknowledgement of the suffering felt by those abused by their faith leaders.
“The first thing we want this Archbishop to do is to call us what we want to be called, which is surviviors,” said program director and founding member of SNAP Peter Isley.
“They want to pretend like these people don’t exist, like what happened to them didn’t happen, like it’s over, done and dealt with, and it’s not,” added deputy director Sarah Pearson.
In a letter from the organization to Grob Sunday, Isley, Pearson and Archangel Foundation President James Egan listed five steps they hope he will take within his first 100 days. Grob met with the group outside the cathedral Monday night, and plans to meet with the group more formally down the road.

Archbishop Jeffrey Grob speaks to media members following his installation ceremony at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Milwaukee. January 14th, 2025. Image Credit: Adam Roberts
“The Church still has a seat at the table”
Looking towards the future, Grob will seek to expand the Catholic church’s footprint in Southeast Wisconsin on day one. He acknowledged Tuesday the church has an issue inspring young Catholics to stay active and engaged within the religious community.
“No perfect plan falls from the sky,” said Grob. “It’s time now to look creatively and assess what works, what doesn’t work, and to think outside the box.”
Church membership has been in a steady decline for years; the Archdiocese of Milwaukee estimates it serves just under 600,000 Catholics in 10 counties across Southeast Wisconsin, down 18 percent from its peak of 731,516 in 2003. Additionally, parish numbers are dropping, from 204 to 184 in that same timeframe. Meanwhile, more and more parishes are merging or shutting down across the region. This past September, St. William, St. Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John Neumann churches in Waukesha announced plans to merge by this summer. That followed similar mergers in West Allis last May and in Wauwatosa last March.
Grob’s outreach efforts also will include combating an ongoing shortage of religious workers first brought to light by his predecessor.
“It’s a matter of how we engage…it’s not about putting a note in a bulletin or a post on a website, it’s about taking ownership,” Grob tells WTMJ. “Not just for the professional religious leaders. The church I believe still has a seat at the table. But at the end of the day, how are we helping one another and leading others to faith? Anyone who’s baptized has that same mission, addressing how we in this day and age engage people.”
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: “The ministry will be stretched thinner” Archdiocese of Milwaukee warns of possible priest shortage
While Grob will face several challenges serving as the proverbial shepherd of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee flock, the Archbishop says he will remain steadfast in his ultimate goal to bring more people to God.
“Together, we will look to the future,” Grob spoke to the gathered crowd as the sound of applaused echoed off the rafters of the cathedral.


TOP STORIES FROM THE WTMJ NEWSROOM:
- ICE detention facility proposed for Milwaukee’s northwest side
- Police searching for critically missing girl from Milwaukee
- 2 victims shot in Madison school shooting upgraded to “good condition” after weeks in “critical”
- Wisconsin Legislature puts photo ID requirement on ballot for voter approval
- Antetokounmpo gets 50th career triple-double as Bucks win 130-115 to end Kings’ 7-game win streak

























