A Conversation with the Cardinal

His Eminence Wilton Cardinal Gregory was born December 7, 1947, in Chicago to Wilton Sr. and Ethel Duncan Gregory; he has two sisters, Elaine and Claudia. He attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary South, Niles College (later became the now-closed St. Joseph’s College Seminary) of Loyola University and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary.

He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 9, 1973, and three years after his ordination began graduate studies at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute (Sant’ Anselmo) in Rome. There, he earned his Doctorate in Sacred Liturgy in 1980.

After having served as an Associate Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Glenview, IL as a member of the faculty of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein and as a Master of Ceremonies to Cardinals John Cody and Joseph Bernardin, he was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago on December 13, 1983. On February 10, 1994, he was installed as the seventh Bishop of the Diocese of Belleville, IL where he served for the next eleven years. On December 9, 2004, Pope Saint John Paul II appointed Bishop Gregory as the sixth Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, and he was installed on January 17, 2005. Pope Francis appointed him as the seventh Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington on April 4, 2019. He was installed on May 21, 2019. On October 25, 2020, Pope Francis named then-Archbishop Gregory one of thirteen new cardinals from around the world. Cardinal Gregory was elevated by Pope Francis to the College of Cardinals in a November 28, 2020 Consistory in Rome, making him the first African American Cardinal in the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Gregory has served in many leading roles in the U.S. church. In November 2001, he was elected President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) following three years as Vice President under Bishop Joseph Fiorenza of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston. During his tenure office, the crisis of sex abuse by Catholic clergy escalated; and under his leadership, the bishops implemented the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” a comprehensive document that responded to the sexual abuse crisis within the Church, outlining guidelines and procedures for abuse prevention, accountability, reconciliation, and healing.

He has served on the USCCB’s Executive and Administrative Committees, the Administrative Board, the Committee on Doctrine, and the U.S. Catholic Conference Committee on International Policy. Previously, Cardinal Gregory served as the chairman of the Bishops’ Committees on Personnel, Divine Worship, the Third Millennium/Jubilee Year 2000 from 1998-2001, and Liturgy from 1991-1993.

Cardinal Gregory has written extensively on church issues, including pastoral statements on the death penalty, social justice, and euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide. Cardinal Gregory has published numerous articles on the subject of liturgy, particularly in the African American community. He has written and spoken prolifically on the intersection of social justice and faith. As Archbishop of Washington, he led The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington with the initiative “Made in God’s Image: Pray and Work to End the Sin of Racism (CCC 1935),” providing opportunities for community prayer, social justice involvement, and education to combat racial injustice.

Cardinal Gregory has been awarded nine honorary doctoral degrees. He received the Great Preacher Award from Aquinas Institute of Theology in 2002; Doctorate of Humanities from Lewis University in Romeoville, IL (2002-2003); Sword of Loyola from Loyola University of Chicago (2004); Doctorate of Humane Letters from Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL (2005); Doctorate of Humane Letters from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH; Doctorate of Humane Letters from McKendree College in Lebanon, IL; Doctorate of Humanities from Fontbonne University in St. Louis, MO; Honorary Law Degree from Notre Dame University (2012); and the Chicago Catholic Theological Union Honorary Doctorate (2013). In April 2023, Cardinal

Gregory received The Lincoln Academy of Illinois – Order of Lincoln Award, the State’s Highest Honor for Public Service and Professional Achievement.

In 2006, Cardinal Gregory joined an illustrious group of preachers with his induction into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College, Atlanta. At the National Pastoral Life Center in Washington, D.C., Cardinal Gregory was honored with the Cardinal Bernardin Award given by the Catholic Common Ground Initiative (2006).

In July 2023, Cardinal Gregory was appointed by Pope Francis as a member for the Synod of Bishops on Synodality. In 2025, he participated as a cardinal elector in the papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.

Now in his third year as president of Loyola University New Orleans, Dr. Cole and the Loyola community are experiencing tremendous momentum with the completion of a strategic planning initiative. This period marks the fruition of multiple campus improvement projects, including Uptown Hall, new 600 bed residence hall, and the completion of the Chapel of St. Ignatius and Gayle and Tom Benson Jesuit Center. Enhancements to overall student life include a substantial renovation of the Danna Student Center and the initiation of updates to critical academic classrooms and teaching spaces.

In keeping with the current times, Dr. Cole has been a steadfast advocate for first-generation students and families, addressing the FAFSA delays both locally and in Washington, D.C. He has championed the development of academic programs that serve Louisiana's most vulnerable families, including the expansion of Midwifery and Nursing programs. The University has recently received a 2.85 million dollar federal grant to strengthen and expand the Nursing and Health Science programs. Dr. Cole has also strengthened alumni engagement nationwide, sharing Loyola’s impactful story and successes. Through it all, he has built a strong leadership team poised to navigate the evolving landscape of higher education and ensure a bright future for Loyola.

Dr. Cole is the first person of color, and only the second layperson, to serve as president since Loyola’s founding in 1912. His commitment to the university is evident in his focus on mission-aligned partnerships, improving the school’s financial health and stability, and investing in those who work and learn at Loyola. He also plays an active role in the broader community, serving on the boards of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU); the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), Economic Development Inc.’s Committee of 100, Greater New Orleans (GNO) Inc., and Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region (BCNO). Additionally, he has been named to Biz New Orleans’ 2024 and 2025 New Orleans 500.

Before coming to Loyola, Dr. Cole served as Vice President of the Division of Student Affairs at Marquette University starting in 2016. He was known for his passion for access and engagement initiatives, particularly for first-generation students and students of color. He also won praise for chairing Marquette’s COVID-19 Response Team during the challenging early days of the pandemic in March 2020.

Dr. Cole’s dedication to Jesuit education continued as co-chair of the Mission Priority Examen at Marquette, and as a visiting team member for Mission Priority Examens at Creighton and Seattle universities. Dr. Cole has worked consistently to ensure ongoing education and mission development of faculty, staff, students and board members through intentional Ignatian mission formation training and development programs.

Prior to Marquette, Dr. Cole shaped student life at higher education institutions in Maryland for more than two decades. From 2014 to 2016, he served as Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Washington College, a small liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland. Earlier in his career, from 1995 to 2014, he held various roles in the Division of Student Development at Loyola University Maryland, eventually becoming Assistant Vice President.

A native of Biloxi, Mississippi, Dr. Cole holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Mississippi and a master’s degree in history from Miami University (Ohio). His interest in student affairs was sparked during his time as a Resident Advisor at Ole Miss and as a graduate hall director at Miami. In 2013, he earned a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. His dissertation, titled “Answering the Call: An Examination of the Development of Lay Leadership on Jesuit, Catholic University Campuses,” explored how mission and identity programs at U.S. Jesuit universities prepare future lay leaders—foreshadowing his own leadership journey.

An accomplished trombone and euphonium player, Dr. Cole’s love of student life extends beyond administration. At every institution where he has worked, he has auditioned for and played in student orchestra pits and jazz bands. This passion for music runs in the family—his mother was a professional singer, and his father was a band leader—making him a fitting presence at Loyola in the birthplace of jazz.

He is married to historian Dr. Susanne DeBerry Cole who proudly serves as the First Lady of Loyola University.