Cardinal Wilton Daniel Gregory, Archbishop of Washington (U.S.A.), was born on 7 December 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended elementary schools in Chicago and then entered Quigley Preparatory Seminary. He studied philosophy at Niles College and theology at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. He subsequently earned a doctorate in liturgy from the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm in Rome in 1980.

He was ordained a priest on 9 May 1973 for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Since his priestly ordination, he has held the following positions: parochial vicar of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Glenview; student in Rome (1976-1979); professor of liturgy at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, member of the Archdiocesan Office for the Liturgy, and Master of Ceremonies for Cardinals Cody and Bernardin (1980-1983).

He was appointed titular Bishop of Oliva and Auxiliary of Chicago on 18 October 1983 and He received episcopal consecration on 13 December 1983. On 29 December 1993 he was transferred to the Diocese of Belleville, taking possession on 10 February 1994.

He was appointed Archbishop of Atlanta, Georgia, on 9 December 2004.

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he has been a member of the Executive and Administrative Committees, the Committee on Doctrine and the Committee on International Policy.  From 1991-1993 he chaired the Committee on the Liturgy; from 1998-2001 he chaired the Committee on Personnel and the Committee on the Third Millennium/Jubilee Year 2000.  In 1998 he was elected Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference, and subsequently served as President from 2001-2004.

On 4 April 2019 Pope Francis appointed him Archbishop of Washington.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 28 November 2020, of the Title of Immacolata Concezione di Maria a Grottarossa.

Member of:

• Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.