Robert Joseph Banks


Robert Joseph Banks is a retired American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the tenth bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin from 1990 to 2003.

Biography

Early life, ordination and ministry

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest on February 20, 1952, for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. From 1967 to 1981 he served as rector of St. John's Seminary in Boston. He was removed from that position by Cardinal Medeiros in 1981 and served as parochial vicar of St. Mark's Church in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He served as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Roslindale, Massachusetts until 1985, when he was made an Auxiliary Bishop of Boston. He also served at St. Mary's Church in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Auxiliary Bishop of Boston

On July 26, 1985 Pope John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of the Boston Archdiocese, and he was consecrated on September 19, 1985.

Bishop of Green Bay

On October 10, 1990, Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Banks the Bishop of the Green Bay Diocese. Bishop Banks retired as ordinary on October 10, 2003.

Abuse scandal

Bishop Banks was accused of overlooking a priest's alleged pedophilia in the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal while he was an auxiliary bishop at Boston.