1. Allen Henry Vigneron was born on October 21,1948 and is an American Catholic prelate who served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit in Michigan and ecclesiastical superior of the Cayman Islands from 2008 to 2025.
21 Facts About Allen Vigneron
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The eldest of six children, Allen Vigneron was born on October 21,1948, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, to Elwin and Bernardine Vigneron.
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Allen Vigneron is of French descent on his father's side and German descent on his mother's.
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Allen Vigneron graduated from there in 1970, receiving degrees in both philosophy and classical languages.
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Allen Vigneron then furthered his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he obtained a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1973.
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Allen Vigneron later returned to Rome, obtaining his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Gregorian University in 1977.
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Allen Vigneron completed his graduate studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC He earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1987 with a dissertation on the philosopher Edmund Husserl.
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In 1985, Allen Vigneron was appointed professor at Sacred Heart Seminary, becoming its dean in 1988.
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In 1991, Allen Vigneron served in Rome as an official in the Vatican Secretariat of State and as adjunct instructor at the Gregorian University.
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Allen Vigneron returned to Sacred Heart Seminary in 1994 as its rector.
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Allen Vigneron was raised by Pope John Paul II to the rank of monsignor in 1994.
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Allen Vigneron was consecrated on July 9,1996, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit by Cardinal Adam Maida, with Cardinals James Hickey and Edmund Szoka serving as co-consecrators.
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John Paul II named Allen Vigneron was as coadjutor bishop of Oakland on January 10,2003.
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Allen Vigneron automatically succeeded Bishop John Cummins as the third bishop of Oakland on October 1,2003.
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Allen Vigneron was elected chair of the board of trustees of Catholic University of America on June 9,2009.
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Allen Vigneron received the pallium from Benedict XVI on June 29,2009, in a ceremony at St Peter's Basilica in Rome.
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In May 2019, Allen Vigneron published the pastoral note "The Day of the Lord".
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In November, 2019, Allen Vigneron was elected vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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Allen Vigneron announced in June 2020 that the archdiocese was restructuring 200 parishes into 60 to 80 parish groups to deal with the shortage of priests.
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However, Allen Vigneron allegedly refused to listen to the allegations because he said they were second-hand.
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In February 2009, Allen Vigneron compared abortion and stem-cell research to slavery and racism.