Early life

James Golka was born on September 22, 1966, in Grand Island, Nebraska, one of ten children of Robert and Patricia Golka. He attended Grand Island Central Catholic High School, where he played football. During his time at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, Golka began talking about going into the priesthood with Jesuit priests. ^[2]

Golka graduated from Creighton with philosophy and theology degrees. In 1989, he spent a year volunteering at a high school on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in what he called a test of his desire to become a priest. ^[2]

Golka entered the Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1990. He graduated with Master of Divinity and Master of Sacramental Theology degrees in 1994. ^{[2] [3]}

Priesthood

On June 3, 1994, Golka was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Grand Island, Nebraska, for the Diocese of Grand Island by Bishop Lawrence McNamara.ref name=":0"> "Bishop James Robert Golka [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-01-29.</ref>

After his 1994 ordination, the diocese assigned Golka as associate pastor of St. James Parish in Kearney, Nebraska, and Holy Rosary in Alliance, Nebraska. Six years later, in 2000, the diocese appointed him as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and in 2006 as pastor of St. Patrick's Parish in North Platte, Nebraska. ^[3] In 2016, he became pastor of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ^[2]

Golka's diocesan positions included: ^[3]

• director of ongoing formation of clergy
• director of diocesan youth retreats
• chair of the Federation of the liturgical commission
• chair of the personnel board
• member of the finance council
• member of the presbyteral council
• member of the pension board

Bishop of Colorado Springs

Pope Francis appointed Golka as bishop for the Diocese of Colorado Springs on April 30, 2021. ^{[3] [4] [5]} On June 29, 2021, Golka was consecrated at Holy Apostles Church in Colorado Springs by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, with Bishops Joseph G. Hanefeldt, and Michael Sheridan serving as co-consecrators. ^[1] In November 2022, after the mass shooting at the Club Q nightclub in Colorado Springs in which five people died, Golka expressed his concern that LGBTQ individuals had been targeted by the shooter. ^[6]

Metropolitan Archbishop of Denver

Pope Leo XIV appointed Golka as metropolitan archbishop for the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Denver on February 7, 2026. ^[7]