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The Most Reverend John J. Myers, fifth Archbishop of Newark, was born in Ottawa, IL on July 26, 1941 to Melvin Wayne (Jack) and Margaret Myers. He is the eldest of seven children. The Archbishop's family traces its roots to Ireland, England and France; relatives settled in northern Illinois in the late 1800s. Earlier ancestors of Mrs. Myers (Spaulding was the family name) served in the Revolutionary War. The Myers family farmed near Earlville, IL, a town of 1,400 located 20 miles north of Ottawa. The Myers children all worked with their father and shared the family chores. Prayer was very much a part of their everyday routine. Young John Myers was an altar server in his parish, St. Theresa, from an early age. John Myers attended the Earlville schools. While completing studies at Loras College in Dubuque, IA (1959-1963), Bishop John B. Franz offered him the opportunity to prepare for the priesthood in Rome. During a visit home in 1966, Bishop Franz ordained him a subdeacon in his private chapel in the Bishop's residence. Bishop Francis Reh ordained Father Myers a priest for service to the Diocese of Peoria on Dec. 17, 1966 at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome. He then received a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the North American College, Gregorian University, Rome in 1967, and a Doctorate in Canon Law from Catholic University in Washington, DC in 1977. Father Myers' first assignment was as assistant pastor at Holy Family Parish, Peoria in 1967. He then served in the Department of International Affairs of the United States Catholic Conference from 1970 to 1971. His next assignment was as associate pastor of St. Matthew Parish, Champaign, IL from 1971 until 1974. Among the administrative positions Father Myers has held in the Diocese of Peoria were Administrator of St. Mary Cathedral (1977-1978 and 1984); diocesan Vice Chancellor (1977-1978); Vocations Director (1977-1987); diocesan Chancellor (1978-1987); and diocesan Vicar General (1982-1990). He has served as a Member of the diocesan Presbyteral Council (1968-1970 and 1984-1990) and Board of Consultors (1978-1990). On Sept. 3, 1987, Bishop Myers was installed as Coadjutor Bishop of Peoria, and acceded to the See of Peoria on Jan. 23, 1990. With the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Myers has served on the Canonical Affairs Committee (1988-2002), Committee on Shrines and Pilgrimages (1990-), Committee on Vocations (1995-1998), Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse (2002), Committee on Hispanic Affairs (2002-), Committee on Aid to Eastern Europe (1999-), Committee on Budget and Finance (2006 -), and Committee on Domestic Policy. Archbishop Myers also has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, as Member of the Seminary Board of Mt. St. Mary Seminary, Maryland, as Member of the Seminary Board of Kenrick-Glennon of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, as Vice President of the Illinois Catholic health Association, and as a Founding Member of the Association for Catechumenal Ministry. His current assignments with the US Conference of Catholic Bishop include Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee on the Revision of the Conference By-Laws, and Member of the Committee on Restructuring. Currently, he serves as President of the Board of Regents and President of the Board of Trustees of Seton Hall University. In addition, he serves as a Member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Catholic University of America, as Chair of Catholic University's Finance Committee, and Member of Catholic University's Seminary Committee. He also serves as a Member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of the North American College, Rome and Chair of the North American College's Finance Committee. Archbishop Myers also is a Trustee of The Papal Foundation, a Member of the Board of Governors of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, a Member of the Board of Directors of the Association for Catechumenal Ministry, and a Member of the Board of Directors of the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington. Archbishop Myers has participated extensively in numerous Canon Law Projects, and has produced scholarly writings on a range of topics including diocesan finance, ecclesial ministries, the rights of unborn children, and the family. On July 24, 2001, His Holiness Pope John Paul II called John J. Myers to serve as the fifth Archbishop of Newark, NJ. He was installed as Archbishop on October 9, 2001. He also serves as Ecclesiastical Superior, Missio Sui Juris, of the Turks and Caicos Islands. In 2005, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI named Archbishop Myers as Ecclesiastical Delegate of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for the Pastoral Provision for admitting married former Anglican clergy to the Catholic priesthood in the United States. Between 1966 and 2008, he served as a Consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, part of the Roman Curia responsible for helping the Holy Father, the supreme legislator of the Church, interpret the laws of the church. The Council further assists the Holy Father in the correct application of current law and the interpretation of norms for particular countries and jurisdictions. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI named him a Member of the Pontifical Council. Archbishop Myers is a Knight Commander with Star of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. More
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