Fr. Bismarck Chau / LinkedIn
The Vatican announced May 30 that Pope Leo XIV has selected Father Pedro Bismarck Chau to serve as the newest auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey.
The appointment was announced in Washington, D.C., by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the US, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) reported. The same announcement included the resignation of Bishop Gregory J. Studerus, who is stepping down at age 77.
A native of Orange, New Jersey, Bishop Studerus spent nearly four decades serving the archdiocese, especially in Hudson County. Ordained in 1980, he ministered in a wide range of pastoral and leadership roles, including as founding pastor of the Parish of the Resurrection and later as pastor of St. Joseph of the Palisades, one of the archdiocese’s largest parishes. Pope Benedict XVI named him Chaplain to His Holiness in 2005, and Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop in 2020.
Originally from Managua, Nicaragua, Fr. Chau was ordained a priest in 2008 after completing his formation at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, New Jersey. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in professional counseling from Seton Hall University.
Over the course of his priesthood, Fr. Chau has held numerous roles in the Archdiocese of Newark. His assignments have included parish ministry in Garfield, leadership in youth and vocations outreach, and campus ministry at New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University. He also pastored both St. John’s Church and St. Patrick Pro-Cathedral in Newark.
Since 2020, Fr. Chau has served as rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, a role he will continue to build upon as he prepares to enter the episcopate.
Fluent in English and Spanish, Fr. Chau has contributed to diocesan governance and education, serving on the Priest Personnel Board and Council of Priests, working with ministries to the deaf, and teaching as an adjunct professor at Immaculate Conception Seminary. He also serves as a chaplain to the Order of Malta.
