Early life

Joseph Williams was born on May 2, 1974, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has eight siblings, one of whom, Paul Williams, is a priest in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Joseph Williams attended Saint Croix Catholic School in Stillwater, Minnesota, and graduated from Stillwater High School in 1992.^[1]

After finishing high school, Williams entered the University of Minnesota Morris (UMN–Morris). While there, he was a varsity tennis player who twice competed in the NCAA Division III men's tennis championships. Williams graduated from UMN–Morris with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996. ^[2]

After his graduation from UMN–Morris, Williams continued his studies at the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio. While at the Franciscan University, he decided to become a priest. He received a philosophy/pre-theology degree from the university in 1998, Williams then entered the Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was awarded a Master of Divinity degree in 2002.^[1]

Priesthood

Williams was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis by Archbishop Harry Flynn on May 28, 2002 at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota.^[3] After his 2002 ordination, the archdiocese assigned Williams as parochial vicar at the following parishes in Minnesota:

• Cathedral of Saint Paul (2002 to 2004)
• Divine Mercy in Faribault (2004-2005)^[2]

In 2005, Williams was appointed pastor of Saint Mathias Parish in Hampton, Minnesota, and Saint Mary parish in New Trier, Minnesota. He left both parishes in 2008 to become pastor of Saint Stephen Parish in Minneapolis. Archbishop Bernard Hebda in 2018 named Williams as the vicar for the Latino ministry.^[2]

Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Pope Francis appointed Williams as an auxiliary bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on December 10, 2021.^[2][1][4] On January 25, 2022, Williams was consecrated as bishop by Archbishop Bernard Hebda at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, with Bishops Richard Pates and Andrew H. Cozzens acting as co-consecrators.^[3]