Catholic Archbishop Lewis Zeigler Dies at 78

MONROVIA – The Catholic Church of Liberia is mourning the death of its Archbishop Emeritus Lewis Jerome Zeigler.

The retired Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Monrovia died on at the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital in Monrovia after his ill-health degenerated, the announced in a statement issued by the Diocesan Administrator, the Reverend Msgr. Gabriel Blamo Jubwe.

 “It is with heart and great sadness that we the members of the College of Consultors of the Archdiocese of Monrovia announced the death of our beloved former Archbishop Lewis Jerome Zeigler whose sad event occurred on the evening of Friday, August 12, 2022 at the Catholic Hospital, Monrovia,” Jubwe said.

“We rejoiced in a confident knowledge that he is at peace now after his ill-health turned for the worst in the past few weeks. Funeral arrangements will be sent out as soon as we have them finalized,” he added.

The late Catholic prelate resigned in 2021 after serving as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Monrovia for a decade.

He was appointed as Archbishop of Diocese of Monrovia by Pope Benedict XVI following the death of Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis in 2011. Prior to his appointment, he served as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Monrovia from 2009.

Born in Harrisburg on January 4, 1944, he was ordained priest in 1974 and appointed in 2002 by Pope John Paul II as the Bishop of Gbarnga.