'This is the day that the Lord has made': Robert Boxie III consecrated as Auxiliary Bishop of Washington

WASHINGTON — Thousands of Catholics filled the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Tuesday for the consecration of two new Auxiliary Bishops of Washington, including Robert Boxie III, the first new African-American Catholic prelate in nearly 10 years.

Officially the youngest Catholic bishop in the United States or the Western Hemisphere, the 45-year-old former Howard University chaplain was consecrated alongside Gary Studniewski, a local parish pastor and former military chaplain.

The livestreamed liturgy, celebrated by the Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Robert McElroy, featured active and retired bishops from around the country—including seven Black Catholic prelates—and dozens of other Black Catholic clergy.

Cardinal Wilton Gregory, an Archbishop Emeritus of Washington and the world’s first African-American cardinal, served as one of two co-consecrators.

“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it,” Boxie said in his remarks at the Mass, speaking of his and Studniewski’s episcopacy as part of a new work of the God in the life of the Church.

“I see my future here: All those here in the Archdiocese of Washington and beyond whom the Lord has now entrusted me to serve in a very particular way, and I look forward to growing with you as fellow disciples of Jesus Christ, serving you with all humility and joy.”

Boxie, a graduate of Vanderbilt University, Harvard Law School, and the Pontifical Gregorian University, announced at the Mass that he will begin his episcopal ministry as the archdiocese’s vicar for cultural communities and synodality, following up six years in HBCU campus ministry. He has also served as a parish priest—including under an immediate successor as Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, Roy E. Campbell Jr., who retired the same day as Boxie’s appointment.

According to a recent interview with Thrive Magazine in his native Lake Charles, Louisiana, Boxie’s new role as an archdiocesan vicar will involve oversight of outreaches related to cultural diversity, youth and young adults, special needs, ecumenical and interfaith relations, as well as other ministries.

As a bishop, Boxie will also be involved with the archdiocese’s revitalization efforts in the local Black Catholic community, including staffing and resource allocation. 

“I have the privilege to experience the various expressions of faith that make up this archdiocese, and I look forward to visiting your communities to learn from you, to listen to your stories, to discern together how the Holy Spirit calls each of us to deeper communion,” Boxie said at the consecration Mass before breaking into short addresses in French and Spanish.

“I see you. I hear you. I walk with you, holding fast to the faith. Pray for me. Brothers and sisters, I'm very happy and honored to be your bishop. I hope that we embark on this journey together as members of the Body of Christ, sharing both moments of joy and times of difficulty.”

The new bishop also spoke directly to Black Catholics present at the liturgy, where they featured in large numbers.

Many had been in attendance the evening before for a Gospel Vespers service honoring the bishop-to-be at St. Augustine Catholic Church. There, he was feted by members of various national Black Catholic organizations, including the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, members of which were present on the altar Tuesday at the basilica.

“You have waited and prayed a long time for this moment,” Boxie told Black attendees at the Mass, apparently referring to the extended period since the last new African-American Catholic prelate: Bishop Campbell in 2017, also for the Archdiocese of Washington.

“I humbly accept this role on your behalf, standing on the shoulders of our ancestors and giants in the faith,” Boxie said, thereafter highlighting—among others—the seven African-American Catholics on the path to sainthood (all of whom were included in the litany of saints for the consecration).

Boxie also thanked the Holy Father for choosing him as a shepherd for the Church, making a thinly veiled reference to the Black ancestry of the first American pontiff.

“I'm grateful again to Pope Leo,” Boxie said, “who sends a message of hope and of solidarity as one of us who is with us on this historic appointment, ushering in a new evangelization in our community.”

A major highlight of the Mass was the inclusion of a liturgical selection from the African-American patrimony and from a Washington native. Richard Smallwood’s “Total Praise” served as the meditation hymn following Communion, bringing many attendees to their feet in worship—including Boxie and several priests present on the altar.

In his homily, Cardinal McElroy encouraged Boxie and Studniewski to find solace and inspiration in the joys of episcopacy, which he said can help bring a new vision for the Church of today and tomorrow.

“At every moment, Jesus says in today's gospel: 'I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give to you,'” the archbishop said.

“Let this profound hope and conviction be your ultimate source of joy as you begin your episcopal ministry, and let it be the source of joy for all of us in this blessed Archdiocese of Washington."

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.

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