Retired Army Chaplain Named Auxiliary Bishop of Washington

Last updated on: May 9, 2026 at 9:53 am by William Hemsworth

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Retired Army Chaplain Named Auxiliary Bishop of Washington 2026-05-09T09:53:19-07:00 William Hemsworth

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WASHINGTON, DC — Father Gary R. Studniewski, CH, COL, USA (Ret.), has been named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, by His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV. The appointment was announced on Friday, May 1.

At a news conference with Washington Archbishop Robert Cardinal McElroy, Bishop-elect Studniewski recounted how he discerned a priestly vocation during his army service in the Nation’s Capital, entered seminary after 10 years on active duty as an artillery officer, and upon priestly ordination, was released by James Cardinal Hickey, then Archbishop of Washington, for further military service as an army chaplain with endorsement and faculties from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS).

Photo Courtesy of the Archdiocese for Military Services

“Cardinal Hickey was so gracious and so unselfish in allowing me to enter the military service as a chaplain, a priest-chaplain,” Bishop-elect Studniewski said, “because, having served 10 years prior service I was also really desirous of serving our men and women in uniform who give so much of themselves, they and their families. I just wanted to serve them, so I was released for an indefinite period. The indefinite period turned out to be 18 years away from the Archdiocese (of Washington), but my first love was always this church, and I longed for the day when I could return. I retired in 2016 from the Army.”

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services, said: “The news of Bishop-elect Studniewski fills me with joy. He was a fine military chaplain and has been an excellent pastor. I look forward to working with him in Region IV and promise him my prayerful support as he and Bishop-elect Robert Boxie prepare for episcopal ordination.”

Commenting on his appointment as bishop, Bishop-elect Studniewski said, “Time and time again throughout my priesthood the Lord has called me. Sometimes I don’t understand His call, and ‘why you’re asking me to do this,’ but I always say ‘yes,’ and then the grace follows. The grace follows for me to be an instrument of accomplishing God’s purposes. Not my own. And now I will rely on that grace once again as I exercise the office of Bishop. And I consider myself extremely blessed to do so.”

The Bishop-elect was born in Toledo, OH, in 1957. He received an army commission through the ROTC program at the University of Toledo in 1979, completing a Bachelor of Education degree in Biology. He served in various artillery assignments in the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery, 1980-1981, and then in the 3rd Infantry Division Artillery, United States Army Europe, 1983-1986. From 1987 to 1989 he served in the army’s Personnel Command in Alexandria, VA.

In 1989 Bishop-elect Studniewski left active duty to study for the Catholic priesthood, co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington and the AMS. His formation for the priesthood took place at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, 1990 – 1995. His theological education includes both a Bachelor of Sacred Theology and Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. He was ordained a priest of Washington in 1995 and served as parochial vicar at St. John’s Church in Hollywood, MD. He received the Monsignor William Awalt Award for Youth Ministry in the Archdiocese of Washington in 1997.

In 1998 Bishop-elect Studniewski re-entered active army service as a chaplain. He served as the 82nd Airborne Division Support Command Chaplain from 1998 – 2000, the Task Force Chaplain for the Multinational Force and Observers, Sinai, Egypt, in 2001, and the Deputy Installation Chaplain at Fort Belvoir, VA, 2002 – 2005. In May 2005, he was reassigned to the Office of the Chief of Chaplains, Personnel Directorate, at the Pentagon. He arrived at Fort Lewis, WA, in June 2008, and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the Brigade Chaplain with the 555th Engineer Brigade where he welcomed Archbishop Broglio in the spring of 2009. He became the Joint Base Garrison Chaplain at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in February 2010. In July 2012, Chaplain Studniewski was assigned as the Command Chaplain for U.S. Army North (5th Army) at Fort Sam Houston, TX. His last Army assignment was as Command Chaplain, Joint Forces Headquarters-National Capitol Region/Military District of Washington, 2014 – 2016.

Bishop-elect Studniewski graduated from multiple army schools and staff colleges throughout his military career, culminating in obtaining a Masters in Strategic Studies at the U.S. Army War College, Department of Distance Education, 2014. He retired from the army at the rank of colonel in July 2016.

He returned to the Archdiocese of Washington in November 2016, and was assigned as temporary administrator at St. Francis Xavier Church, Newtowne, MD, before assuming his pastoral responsibilities as administrator of St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill in January 2017. Father Studniewski was named pastor of the same parish in 2018. He assumed his current position as pastor of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Northwest Washington in July 2022.

Bishop-elect Studniewski is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre and the Knights of Columbus, 4th Degree. He serves as the dean of the Northwest-West deanery of the archdiocese, as well as the spiritual advisor to the Cursillo Movement of the archdiocese.

The Bishop-elect is one of two newly-named auxiliary bishops of Washington. The Holy See also announced the appointment of Bishop-elect Robert P. Boxie III. A date has not yet been announced for their episcopal ordination.

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