Michael Fors Olson

Michael Fors Olson was born in Park Ridge, Illinois to Ronald G. and Janice (Fetzer) Olson. He has three sisters.[1] Olson was raised in Des Plaines, Illinois where he attended St. Mary's School, and he graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary North in Chicago. He began his studies in the Archdiocese of Chicago, but his family moved to Fort Worth, Texas and he transferred to the Fort Worth diocese.[2] Olson earned a bachelor of arts and master's degrees in philosophy from The Catholic University of America, master of arts in theological studies and a master of divinity from the University of St. Thomas in Houston and a doctorate in moral theology from the Alphonsian Academy in Rome.[2][3] Olson was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Fort Worth on June 3, 1994.[4]

After ordination, Olson served as the parochial vicar at St. Michael's Church in Bedford, Texas from 1994 to 1997. From 1997 to 2001 he was engaged in doctoral studies at the Center for Health Care Ethics in the Catholic Tradition at Saint Louis University. He then served as a formation director at St. Mary's Seminary in Houston from 2001 to 2006. Olson served as the vicar general of the Fort Worth Diocese from 2006 to 2008 and the rector of Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas from 2008 to 2013. He was named a Chaplain of His Holiness, with the title Monsignor, by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.[3]

Pope Francis named Olson the Bishop of Fort Worth on November 19, 2013. He was consecrated on January 29, 2014 by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS of San Antonio. Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Fiorenza of Galveston-Houston, and Bishop Kevin Vann of Orange, California were the co-consecrators.[4] The liturgy was celebrated in the Fort Worth Convention Center.

In 2018, Olson attracted controversy for dismissing Richard Kirkham, a priest in his diocese.[5] While at another diocese, Kirkham had learned of an affair that a fellow priest had with a church employee. Kirkham wrote to the other priest but did not report the relationship, and was dismissed on the grounds that he failed to report potential abuse of a "vulnerable adult".[6] Kirkham sued for defamation, but later dropped the lawsuit.[7]

• Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth Official Site