Most Reverend James T. Schuerman
Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee
Most Reverend James T. Schuerman was born April 5, 1958. He attended St. Joseph’s Grade School, Lyons, Wis., Burlington Jr. High School, and Burlington High School. He enrolled in Saint Francis de Sales Seminary College from 1976 to 1980, earning a Bachelor’s of Arts degree and, after attending Saint Francis de Sales Seminary for his first year of theology from 1980 to 1981, was selected for studies at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, earning his Masters of Theology. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1986, by Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland, O.S.B.
Bishop Schuerman’s first assignment was Associate Pastor at St. Anthony Parish, Milwaukee from 1986 to 1992. He then was selected for missionary service at the Archdiocesan sister parish, La Sagrada Familia, in the Dominican Republic, where he served from 1992 to 1996.
In August of 1996, Bishop Schuerman enrolled in a special graduate program at Chicago Theological Union for returning missionaries, where he earned a doctorate in ministry with specialization in spirituality. He joined the faculty of Saint Francis de Sales Seminary as Spiritual Director and faculty member from 1997 to 2009. In 2009, he became Administrator of St. Andrew Parish, Delavan, and then Pastor in 2010. From 2011 to 2012, he also served as Pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Elkhorn.
From 2012 to 2017, he served as Pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Lake Geneva.
Most Reverend Schuerman was named Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Pope Francis on January 25, 2017.
Bishop Schuerman speaks German and is highly fluent in Spanish, which has aided his ministry in the southwestern area of the archdiocese where there is a growing population of Hispanic Catholics. In 2012, he received the archdiocesan Vatican II Award for Service to the Priesthood.
Born in Burlington to his parents, Robert and Elizabeth Schuerman (deceased), Bishop Schuerman grew up in Lyons, and was a member of St. Joseph Parish. He has four siblings, Virginia (Sam) Kalaveshi, Robert (Jean Ann) Schuerman, Jr., Theresa Schuerman (Mark Leemkuil) and David Schuerman.