Archbishop Vlazny attended Quigley
Preparatory Seminary and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary where he received a Bachelor of
Arts degree in 1958. He attended the North
American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome earning a Sacred Theology
Bachelor Degree in 1960 and a Sacred Theology Licentiate degree in 1962. He later earned a Master of Arts degree in the
Classics from the University of Michigan in 1967, and a Master of Education degree in
School Administration from Loyola University in 1972.
Archbishop Vlazny was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Ministry degree from St.
Mary's University, Winona, in 1998, and an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the
University of Portland in 1999.He was ordained a priest on December 20, 1961 at St. Peter's Basilica, Rome. As a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, he served as an Associate Pastor at St. Paul of the Cross, Park Ridge (1962-1963); St. Clement (1963-1968); St. Aloysius (1968-1972); St. Sylvester (1972-1974); and Precious Blood (1974-1979). At the same time he served on the faculty of Quigley North (1963-1979) where he also held the position of Dean of Studies (1969-1979).
Archbishop Vlazny was President of the Presbyteral Senate for the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1976-1977. He was appointed Pastor of St. Aloysius Parish where he served from 1979-1981 after which he was appointed Rector of Niles College where he served in that position until 1983. He was named a Bishop by Pope John Paul II, and was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago at Holy Name Cathedral on December 13, 1983. As Auxiliary Bishop, he served as Episcopal Vicar for Lake County and northwestern suburban Cook County. Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Winona, MN on May 19, 1987 and he was installed as the sixth Bishop of Winona at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on July 29, 1987. On October 28, 1997, he was appointed the tenth Archbishop of Portland, Oregon. He was installed at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on December 19, 1997.
His present United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) assignments are: Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Economic Concerns of the Holy See, and the Committee on University Presidents and Bishops; Member of the Committee on Shrines, Liturgical Music Subcommittee, Ad Hoc Committee on Diocesan Audits, Committee on Catechesis; and Consultant for the Committee on African-American Catholics.
Archbishop Vlazny's past USCCB appointments were as a Member of the Committee on Vocations, Committee on Migration and Refugee Services, Ad Hoc Committee on National Collections, Committee on Priestly Formation, Subcommittee on the Millennium, Committee on Consecrated Life, Administrative Committee, Committee on the Relationship between Eastern and Latin Catholic Church, Committee for the North American College in Rome, and the Committee on Hispanic Affairs. He also served as Chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Vocations, Committee on Evangelization, and the Committee on Women in Society and in the Church.