Wilton Cardinal Gregory is the seventh archbishop of Washington, D.C., and the first African American to be appointed a cardinal in the Catholic Church.

As Elmhurst University continues its sesquicentennial celebrations, Gregory will present Elmhurst at 150: The Critical Needs of Higher Education from a Roman Catholic Faith, this year’s Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Lecture, on Feb. 22. The lecture will be presented remotely.

Born in Chicago and ordained a priest in 1973, Gregory spent much of his early career in Chicago and its suburbs, including Glenview and Mundelein. Before becoming archbishop of Washington in 2019, he served as bishop of Belleville, Ill., and archbishop of Atlanta. He has been archbishop of Washington, D.C., since 2019.

Gregory also has served in several leading roles in the U.S. church, including three times as head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. During his tenure, 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.”

Cardinal Gregory has written extensively on church issues, including pastoral statements on the death penalty and social justice; and has published numerous articles on the subject of liturgy, particularly in the African American community. He also is chancellor of The Catholic University of America and chairman of the Board of Trustees for The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Gregory’s talk will begin at 7:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, Feb. 22. Admission is free to this event, which will be held remotely, but reservations are required. An access link to will be provided closer to the event date. This lecture is part of the Religious Literacy Project at Elmhurst University.