The American Pope: A Global Perspective

“If I had a thousand lives to live, I’d want to live every one of them as a priest.” Detroit's new Archbishop Edward Weisenburger visits the podcast studio to share his vocation story with Fr. Craig Giera and Fr. Drew Mabee, hosts of the Men of the Hearts podcast. Recording on the historic day of Pope Leo XIV’s election, Archbishop Weisenburger reflects on where he was when he heard the news, his past encounters with Popes Benedict XVI and Francis, and his anticipation of receiving the pallium in Rome. He discusses his early call to the priesthood, formative seminary years, ministry across several dioceses, and his advice to young men discerning the priesthood.

(0:25) Hosts Fr. Craig Giera and Fr. Drew Mabee introduce a very special guest for this episode, Detroit’s new Archbishop Edward Weisenburger. As the episode is being recorded on the day of Pope Leo XIV’s election, Archbishop Weisenburger begins by recounting where he was when he heard the joyful news of the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church. 

(6:06) Archbishop Weisenburger looks back on some of the many ways Pope Francis made a difference in his life as a priest and bishop. He describes his ad limina visits to the Vatican as a bishop to meet with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. He then looks ahead to his next trip to Rome this summer, when Pope Leo XIV will present him with his pallium—a blessed, thin white band of woolen fabric worn over his shoulders, a symbol of sheep being laid on the shoulders of the shepherd.

(16:02) Archbishop Weisenburger expresses his gratitude for the smooth onboarding process following his arrival in the Archdiocese of Detroit. He also touches on the importance of prayer in the life of a priest. The group briefly revisits where they were when they heard the announcement of Pope Leo XIV: Fr. Drew was driving to Sacred Heart Major Seminary and trying not to crash from excitement; Fr. Craig was crowded around a bakery television with other patrons, and Archbishop Weisenburger was stopped by joyous strangers while walking through the airport. 

(21:38) The group segues to Archbishop Weisenburger’s vocation story, which he calls “boring.” The seed was planted very, very early in his life, as he was always intrigued at Mass. He only attended Catholic school for one year, as a second-grader while his dad served as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. However, the family was very involved in parish life. He remembers dressing as an altar server for the first time in third grade: “It just hit me. I felt more right in that moment than anything [else] I had done.” 

(28:54) Archbishop Weisenburger recalls that his life “kind of exploded” in seminary college. He was interested in tennis and racquetball, loved to read, and made friendships that still stand today. The academics were intense, which prepared him well for his subsequent theology studies at the American College of Louvain, a Roman Catholic seminary in Leuven, Belgium. At his first assignment as a priest, he remembers attending Anointing of the Sick calls late at night with his pastor. 

(38:59) Archbishop Weisenburger recalls visiting home midway through his studies in Belgium, a point at which he decided to go “full speed ahead” toward the priesthood. The group spends some time discussing his calls to become Bishop of Salina, Bishop of Tucson, and Archbishop of Detroit. Then, revisiting his time as a priest in Oklahoma City, Archbishop Weisenburger recalls ministering to the family of Blessed Stanley Rother.

(49:38) Archbishop says he is grateful for the twists and turns of his ministry, recalling a pastor who once told him “anything that can be learned in life can be used by God.” He remembers serving alongside religious sisters from Mexico in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing. 

(55:24) Fr. Craig asks if Archbishop Weisenburger feels the prayers of so many people in the Archdiocese of Detroit and beyond. The Archbishop confirms that these prayers are why he’s “still standing.” Fr. Craig says those who pray, particularly the elderly, are “the powerhouse of the church.” Archbishop Weisenburger then shares his advice for young men discerning the priesthood, borrowing the words of a priest he knew in Oklahoma: “If I had a thousand lives to live, I’d want to live every one of them as a priest.” He then closes the episode with a prayer and blessing.