Celebrating Bishop Bradley

In his 14 years of the Shepherd of the Diocese of Kalamazoo, Bishop Paul Bradley’s accomplishments are many and his indelible mark on our hearts, immeasurable. 

During the Mass of Thanksgiving for Bishop Bradley, held on July 9, 2023, he reflected on his role as spiritual father for the diocese. He said, “As I prepare to conclude my 14 years of being the Bishop of this Diocese, I want to echo Jesus’ prayer of praise to His Father: ‘I too give you thanks and praise, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth,’ for giving me the privilege of Shepherding the People of the Diocese of Kalamazoo, and for entrusting me with the spiritual well-being of the Priests and Faithful of this Diocese. There’s no doubt that these are challenging times for any/all of us to be faithful disciples of Jesus in this world that keeps moving away from God. These are also challenging times for Bishops to try to teach with clarity, to preach the Truth, and to lead with conviction This nearly Decade and a half that I have been your Bishop has been a daily learning experience for me; a consistent lesson in humility; and provided me with regular motivation to deepen my own faith and trust in God’s grace on which I have become more and more dependent.”Throughout his episcopal ministry in the diocese, Bishop Bradley introduced a number of initiatives, including the implementation of the 2016 Diocesan Pastoral Plan, which created 28 Parish Collaboratives from the existing 59 parishes and missions. He also convened the 2019 Eucharistic Congress, where close to 1,000 Catholics participated. Additionally, Bishop Bradley has ordained 20 men to the priesthood and 23 as permanent deacons. He has conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation to more than 25,000 people. In 2022 he convened the first-ever diocesan synod on the topic of “Priestly Life and Ministry.” He has also written eight pastoral letters, including three which received recognition from the Catholic Press Me-dia Association Awards.