It is with a heavy heart this morning that I share the news of the passing of Bishop Robert J. Banks on January 25, 2026.
Bishop Banks was 97 years old at his passing from this life and served as our diocesan Bishop from December 5th of 1990 until October 10th of 2003. His motto was “Blessed be God forever.”
Bishop Banks lived a wonderful prayer-filled life and accomplished so much in his 97 years. Seven years after he arrived in our Diocese as the 10th Bishop, he established the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay. Bishop Banks’ vision for the Catholic Foundation was to have an organization through which Catholic families could leave bequests to establish endowments to benefit our parishes, Catholic schools, and diocesan ministries. In my conversations toward the end of his life, he was so pleased that so many people have partnered with the Foundation in their estate plans. What a wonderful legacy the Catholic Foundation is to Bishop Banks.
Cindi Brawner, Catholic Foundation founding Executive Director shared, “Working with Bishop Banks was a great blessing for me. As the shepherd of our Diocese he was kind, compassionate, willing to listen and consider new ideas. He encouraged me to speak up and asked me ‘what do women think about this’, I always said I could only speak for myself, not for all women, but it was so nice he asked and heard my point of view.”
“I have so many fond memories of Bishop Banks not only as a mentor and a friend, but also as someone who lived a deep life of faith. For me he certainly serves as a wonderful example of someone who loved Jesus and shared Jesus with everyone he encountered,” said Josh Diedrich, Catholic Foundation Executive Director.
Bishop was truly a gift to our Diocese. I thank God for the service and love that Bishop showed to people across northeastern Wisconsin.
As Crozier Society members, please join me in holding Bishop Banks, his friends and family and our entire diocese in prayer. Funeral arrangements are pending and there will be a full obituary in the coming days.