Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B.

Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo is an Auxiliary Bishop and the Regional Bishop for Union County in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. He splits his time between doing church administrative work at the archdiocese's main office in Newark and living at his home monastery, Saint Mary's Abbey in Morristown, New Jersey.

Bishop Lorenzo's Current Role and Location

• Title: Auxiliary Bishop and Regional Bishop for Union County
• Office Location: Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey
• Monastic Home: Saint Mary's Abbey in Morris Township / Morristown, New Jersey

Becoming a Monk and Priest

Bishop Elias is a Benedictine monk at St. Mary's Abbey. He took his first vows as a monk on March 21, 1985, and his final, permanent vows on March 19, 1988. He was later ordained as a priest on June 24, 1989, by the late Bishop Frank Rodimer.

In 2020, the late Pope Francis chose him to become an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark. This happened on February 27, 2020. He officially became a bishop during a ceremony (called a "consecration") on June 30, 2020, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin led the ceremony.

Bishop Lorenzo's Early Life and Education

Bishop Elias was born on October 6, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York. He went to St. Agatha's Elementary School in the Sunset Park neighborhood and then Cathedral Prep in Fort Greene. It was at Cathedral Prep that he first started thinking seriously about becoming a monk and a priest.

He went on to earn several degrees:

• A Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from Don Bosco College in Newton, NJ
• A Master's Degree in Liturgical Theology (the study of church worship and ceremonies) from St. John's University in Collegeville, MN
• A Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ
• A Licentiate in Canon Law (an advanced degree in church law) from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC

Bishop Lorenzo's Work at the Abbey and Delbarton School

At St. Mary's Abbey, Bishop Elias held several important jobs: he was the prior (second-in-command of the monastery), the director of worship services, and the head of the abbey's church.

He also spent more than 20 years working at Delbarton School, a school run by the monastery. He taught religious studies and worked in the school's administration. As the school's campus minister, he organized retreats and service trips for students. This included work with Operation Smile International, a charity that provides free surgery for children with cleft lips and palates. He personally traveled on medical missions to Bolivia, China, Honduras, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, and the Philippines to help with this work.

Leadership Roles Held by Bishop Lorenzo

Bishop Elias helped start the International Commission for Benedictine Education, a group that connects more than 180 Benedictine schools around the world. He later became its president and now holds the honorary title of president emeritus (a respected former leader).

He also worked as legal counsel for Praesidium, Inc., an organization that creates safety rules to protect children and vulnerable people. He helped build these safety standards together with the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, and later served for several years on Praesidium's client advisory board.

After that, he moved to Rome, Italy, to work at Sant'Anselmo, the international Benedictine university. There, he served as prior of the college and as procurator general for the Benedictine Order — a role where he worked directly with different offices of the Vatican's central government, known as the Roman Curia.

Before becoming a bishop, he was elected Abbot President of the American Cassinese Congregation in 2016. This is a large group of Benedictine monasteries — 24 in total — spread across the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and Taiwan, with about 600 monks. These monasteries also run 10 colleges and universities and 12 high schools throughout North and South America, and they help serve many church communities across six countries.

Bishop Lorenzo's Current Work

Today, Bishop Elias serves as the Regional Bishop for Union County in the Archdiocese of Newark. In this job, he works closely with the deans and pastors of local parishes, as well as the principals of Catholic schools in the county. He also works at the archdiocese's main office, in the department that handles church law (canonical affairs).

Bishop Elias has been a member of the Knights of Columbus since he became a priest in 1989, and in 2024 he became a Fourth Degree Knight, the organization's highest honor level.

Bishop Lorenzo's Portfolio