How did Jeffrey Grob journey from Dane County farm boy to Milwaukee's 12th archbishop?
New Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey S. Grob, 63, holds two doctorate degrees and spent much of his adult life in leadership in the Chicago archdiocese.
Now he's in a new city leading some half million Catholics and facing a host of challenging issues.
He may not be far from his Dane County childhood in terms of distance, but the journey from the small farm where he grew up to the ornate cathedra where he sat Tuesday after his installation is another matter.
Where did Grob spend his childhood?
Grob was born in 1961 and grew up milking Brown Swiss cows on a dairy farm in Cross Plains, just west of Madison.
He went to St. Francis Xavier Grade School in Cross Plains, and Holy Name High School Seminary in Madison.
His family's farm is now a Christmas tree farm, the Catholic Herald reported.
Who is in Grob's family?
Grob grew up as the only child in a home with his parents and paternal grandparents. His maternal grandmother ran a tavern in town.
His father, Gerald, died in a plane crash while on a fishing trip three years after Grob was ordained. His mother, Bonnie Grob, has lived with him for almost 20 years, according to the Catholic Herald. She moved in after she was diagnosed with cancer, and she has survived the disease returning three times.
Today Grob has four exotic birds as pets, including an African Gray parrot who mimics voices. As a kid he cared for wild animals on the farm, including several quail and an orphaned raccoon who would eat Tombstone pizzas the family cooked for it.
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Where did Grob study?
Grob studied at several universities. He received his bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, and his master’s in divinity from University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.
He has two doctorates: one in canon law from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario, and one in philosophy from University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario.
His canon law doctoral dissertation was on the revision of the Rite of Exorcism, which he acknowledged in an interview is a "sensationalistic topic" that draws interest.
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What did Grob do before arriving in Milwaukee?
Grob was ordained to the priesthood in 1992 in Chicago, at age 31.
He was a pastor at a parish in Winnetka, Illinois, in the 1990s and at another in Elmwood Park, Illinois, from 2008 to 2013.
He has also held a number of leadership positions in the Chicago archdiocese, including assistant to the chancellor, associate vicar for canonical services, court of appeals judge and chancellor.
He was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Chicago on Sept. 11, 2020, and ordained two months later. He was the archbishop's liaison to lay ecclesial movements and new communities, which include Hispanic and Polish groups and other volunteer or mission-oriented associations.
In his four years as auxiliary bishop, he was the vicar – or leader – of churches in Lake County and portions of northern Cook County. That territory includes Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Lake Forest, Mount Prospect, Mundelein, Schaumburg and Waukegan.
Sophie Carson is a general assignment reporter who reports on religion and faith, immigrants and refugees and more. Contact her at scarson@gannett.com or 920-323-5758.
This story was updated to add a video.