Vice Rector, Fr. Gerard Battersby

Following the elevation of Fr. Michael Byrnes to the episcopacy in May, rumors circulated as to who would take over as vice rector and dean of seminarian formation. Among those names was Fr. Gerard Battersby, then at the University of St. Thomas in Rome pursuing his doctorate in Sacred Theology.

While he had some initial thoughts about who would take over, Father Battersby never expected the call from Archbishop Vigneron in early May informing him of his appointment. At his annual rector's address on August 24, Msgr. Jeffrey Monforton introduced Father, stating how privileged he was to have Father "on the bridge of our ship."

Father Battersby was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1998. He holds a BA in Biology, and a Master of Divinity and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from Sacred Heart. After ordination, he served six archdiocesan parishes and was director of graduate seminarians from 2007 through 2009.

As chief formator of seminarians, Father Battersby sees the connection between a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the essential component of pastoral formation. Archbishop Vigneron has great confidence in Father as "a zealous priest who exemplifies those human virtues that we all look for in a priest as a man of communion.