Bernard Shlesinger

Shlesinger graduated from Virginia Tech in 1983 with a degree in agricultural engineering. He served in the United States Air Force from 1983 to 1990, retiring with the rank of Captain.

He studied for the priesthood in Washington, D.C., and in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum).

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 22, 1996, and was a priest of Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh. He became the director of vocations and seminarian formation for the Diocese of Raleigh in 2007 and served in that role until 2013. In 2013 he became the Director of Spiritual Formation at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta on May 15, 2017.[1][2] He was consecrated on July 19, 2017.

Based on the arms of Bishop 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, symbolizing that all comes to Jesus by way of Mary.

For his motto Bishop Shlesinger has adopted the Latin phrase “CHRISTUM OPORTET CRESCERE,” that is taken from the 30th verse of the 3rd chapter of Saint John's Gospel. In this passage, Saint John the Baptist admonishes the readers that for our deep and effective faith in Jesus, CHRIST MUST INCREASE as our intentions “must decrease.”

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta Official Site