USCCB Leadership & Structure

USCCB Officer Terms

The officers of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) serve three-year terms. For the Conference Treasurer, Secretary, and chairmen of Conference standing committees, the term of office is preceded by service as "chairman elect" or "officer-elect" for one year.

The President is the chief executive officer of the corporation and serves as Chairman of the Administrative Committee and presides at all meetings of that Committee and the Plenary Assemblies of the Conference.  The President remains, ex officio, an at-large member of the Administrative Committee for a period of one year after the completion of his term.

The Vice President performs the duties of the President in his absence and performs other duties that are assigned him by the President or the Administrative Committee.

The Treasurer is responsible for the management of Conference funds and, according to the needs of the Conference, for methods of sound fiscal administration. The Treasurer also holds the position of Vice Chairman for the Committee on Priorities and Plans. 

The Secretary serves as Chairman of the Committee on Priorities and Plans, keeps minutes of the Plenary Assemblies and of the meetings of the Administrative Committee.

 USCCB General Secretariat

The USCCB General Secretary supports the work of the President and Vice President of the Conference. All administrative matters proper to the Conference and its activity are coordinated through the USCCB General Secretariat. The Office of the General Secretary follows closely the work of the Conference committees and is responsible for the coordination of activities and staff. The General Secretariat is also responsible for the preparation and arrangements for meetings of the Administrative Committee and of the general membership and for the maintenance of the Conference files and archives. 

Organizational Structure

Executive Level and Management Committees (Conference Officers)

  • Administrative Committee - Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, President (Military Services, USA)
    • The USCCB’s Administrative Committee is led by the president of the Conference and is comprised of the USCCB’s officers, chairmen of the Conference’s standing committees, as well as a representative from each episcopal region of the United States. 
    • The committee operates as the board of directors of the Conference.
  • Committee on Budget and Finance - Bishop James F. Checchio, Treasurer (Metuchen)
  • Committee on Priorities and Plans - Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, Secretary (Oklahoma City); Bishop James F. Checchio, Treasurer (Metuchen)
    • The Committee on Priorities and Plans is made up of the Conference Secretary serving as the Committee Chairman and the Conference Treasurer serving as the Vice-Chairman.  The Committee consists of 15 bishops, one from each Episcopal Region of the United States. These members are concurrently members of the Administrative Committee.
  • Executive Committee - Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, President
    • The Executive Committee consists of the Conference Officers and a fifth at-large member who is elected from among the Administrative Committee members.

Programmatic Committees

  • Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance
    • Chairman: Bishop Thomas John Paprocki (Springfield, Illinois)
  • Committee on Catholic Education –
    • Bishop Thomas A. Daly (Spokane, Washington)
  • Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations –  
    • Bishop Earl A. Boyea (Lansing, Michigan)
  • Committee on Communications –
    • Bishop Robert P. Reed (Auxiliary, Boston)
  • Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church –
    • Bishop Arturo Cepeda (Auxiliary, Detroit)
  • Committee on Divine Worship –
    • Bishop Steven J. Lopes (The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter)
  • Committee on Doctrine –
    • Bishop Daniel E. Flores (Brownsville, Texas)
  • Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs –
    • Bishop Joseph C. Bambera (Scranton, Pennsylvania)
  • Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis –
    • Archbishop Charles C. Thompson (Indianapolis, Indiana)
  • Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development –
    • Archbishop Borys Gudziak (Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
  • Committee on International Justice and Peace –
    • Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, MLM (Maronite Eparchy of Our of Lebanon St. Louis, Missouri)
  • Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth –
    • Bishop Robert E. Barron (Winona, Minnesota)
  • Committee on Migration –
    • Bishop Mark J. Seitz (El Paso, Texas)
  • Committee on National Collections –
    • Bishop James S. Wall (Gallup, New Mexico)
  • Committee on Pro-Life Activities –
    • Bishop Michael F. Burbidge (Arlington, Virginia)
  • Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People –
    • Bishop Barry C. Knestout (Richmond, Virginia)
  • Committee for Religious Liberty –
    • Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades (Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana)

USCCB departments and programs

The Offices, Departments, and Programs of the USCCB are overseen by the General Secretary.  These Offices, Departments, and Programs are divided into three major categories -- each category reports to an Associate General Secretary who works alongside the General Secretary to complete the work of the member bishops.
Office of the General Secretary
  • General Secretary
  • Associate General Secretary – Secretary of Pastoral Ministry
  • Associate General Secretary - Secretary of Policy and Advocacy
  • Associate General Secretary -- Secretary of Administration
Pastoral Ministry
  • Secretariat of Catholic Education
  • Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations
  • Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church
  • Secretariat of Divine Worship
  • Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs
  • Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
  • Secretariat of Evangelization and Catechesis
  • Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth
  • Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection
  • Office for the Biblical Apostolate
Policy and Advocacy
  • Office of the General Counsel
  • Office of Government Relations
  • Migration and Refugee Services
  • Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities
  • Department of Justice, Peace, and Integral Human Development
Administration
  • Office of National Collections
  • Office of Finance and Accounting
  • Office of General Services
  • Office of Human Resources
  • Office of Information Technology
  • National Religious Retirement Office
  • Archives

The Chief Communications Officer oversees the various Communications efforts of the USCCB, working in close conjunction with the General Secretary and Associate General Secretaries

  • Catholic Communication Campaign
  • Catholic News Service
  • Marketing and Episcopal Resources
  • Office of Public Affairs