Bernard Shlesinger III was born on December 17, 1960, in Washington, D.C. to Bernard E. “Bill” Shlesinger Jr. and Rita Belmont Shlesinger. Bill Shlesinger was an inventor and attorney. Bernard Shlesinger has two brothers and three sisters.[1][2]
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
After returning to North Carolina, Shlesinger was ordained a priest on June 22, 1996, by Bishop Francis Gossman at St. Mark Church in Wilmington, North Carolina, for the Diocese of Raleigh.[4] After Shlesinger's ordination, the diocese assigned him that same year as parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Wilmington. Two years later, in 1998, the diocese appointed him as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Newton Grove, North Carolina, along with the position of assistant director of vocations for the diocese.[2][3]
In 2007, the diocese moved Shlesinger out of Our Lady of Guadalupe to become the director of vocations and seminarian formation. Between 2010 and 2012, he also served as the diocesan administrator of Maria, Reina de las Americas Parish in Mount Olive, North Carolina. [2][3]
In 2013, Shlesinger left Raleigh to become director of spiritual formation at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.[2][3]
As an auxiliary bishop, Shlesinger is responsible for Region II of the archdiocese.[6]
Coat of arms
Based on the arms of Shlesinger's home diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, by reversing the color to be red on silver (white), is a cross of the faith that is composed of eight diamonds (heraldically called “lozenges”). Upon these lozenges is a gold escutcheon (small shield within the major shield) that is charged with the symbolism of the Sacred Heart. To the lower right, base sinister, is a blue “M,” of the Virgin Mary, taken from the arms of Pope John Paul II.
