Early life Michael Warfel was born on September 16, 1948, in
Elkhart, Indiana. He attended
Indiana University Bloomington and
Indiana University South Bend, but before his graduation enlisted in the
U.S. Army. Warfel served in
South Vietnam for 18 months during the
Vietnam War, then spent 13 months in South Korea. While a seminarian, Warfel visited his sister in Alaska. He later requested permission to transfer from the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, which was sponsoring his vocation, to the Archdiocese of Anchorage.
Priesthood Warfel was
ordained to the priesthood by
Francis Hurley for the
Archdiocese of Anchorage on April 26, 1980, at
St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend, Indiana. After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Warfel as
parochial vicar at St. Benedict Parish in
Anchorage, Alasak, from 1980 to 1985, then as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in
Wasilla, Alaska, from 1985 to 1989. The archdiocese then assigned Warfel as pastor of St. Mary Parish in
Kodiak, Alaska from 1990 to 1995. While in Kodiak, Warfel instituted a Spanish-language Sunday mass . He was named pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Anchorage in 1995.
Bishop of Juneau On November 19, 1996, Warfel was appointed as the fourth bishop of Juneau by
Pope John Paul II.He received his
episcopal consecration on December 17, 1996, from Archbishop
Francis Hurley, with Bishops
Michael Kaniecki and
William Skylstad serving as
co-consecrators, at Centennial Hall in
Juneau, Alaska.
Bishop of Great Falls-Billings Pope Benedict XVI named Warfel as seventh bishop of Great Falls-Billings on November 20, 2007.
Retirement Pope Francis accepted Warfel's resignation on August 22, 2023. ==References==