Gerard Battersby

The youngest of nine children along with his twin brother, Gerard W. Battersby was born May 15, 1960, to the late Christopher and the late Helen (Buckley) Battersby. He grew up in northwest Detroit and attended St. Benedict Parish and school in Highland Park.

In 1993, he entered Sacred Heart Major Seminary as an adult vocation, and received a Master of Divinity degree in 1998, being ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Adam J. Maida.

After ordination, he served in parish ministry for approximately 10 years. He served as an associate pastor at St. Thecla Parish in Clinton Township, Presentation/Our Lady of Victory Parish, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish and St. Gerard Parish, all in Detroit.

In 2002, he was named pastor of St. Christopher Parish in Detroit, and in 2007, was appointed to Sacred Heart Major Seminary, where he received a Licentiate in the New Evangelization in 2008. While serving as director of graduate seminarians and graduate pastoral formation at the seminary, Fr. Battersby also served concurrently as administrator of St. Leo Parish in Detroit. In 2009, Fr. Battersby was assigned to graduate studies at the Angelicum in Rome, Italy. In 2011, Fr. Battersby was appointed Vice-Rector and Dean of Seminarian Formation at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. In 2015, Fr. Battersby was concurrently appointed pastor of St. Mary of Redford, Detroit. Fr. Battersby was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit on November 23, 2016, and was ordained to the episcopacy on January 25, 2017.

On Jan. 25, 2017, the Most Rev. Gerard W. Battersby was ordained as auxiliary bishop to Archbishop Allen Vigneron.