Fr. James was vested a novice of the Norbertine Order in 1996 at the community’s foundation house of St. Moses the Black in Jackson, MS. He professed First Vows in 1998, Solemn Vows on in 2001, ordained a Deacon in 2001 and ordained to the presbyterate in 2002.  

Fr. James earned a BA in Philosophy from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in 1968, an MA in Theology and a MDiv in Theology from the DeSales School of Theology in Washington, D.C. in 1996. He earned a JCL and MCL in Canon Law from Saint Paul University and the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Canada in 2000. He earned a JCD and a PhD in Canon Law (dissertation on the “Mandatum” of Ex corde Ecclesiae) from Saint Paul University and the University of Ottawa in 2009.  

Fr. James served as the Interim Director of the Peace and Justice Center, Adjunct Instructor of Theology, Campus Minister at St. Norbert College and Pastoral Associate/Deacon for St. Norbert College Parish. He also served on the Green Bay Diocesan Peace and Justice Commission, on the Advisory Committee for the Wisconsin Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies.  

Fr. James has served on the Board of Education of Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay, the Board of Directors of the National Catholic AIDS Network, the Board of Trustees of the Catholic Theological Union and convener of the Formation Council, Board of Trustees of St. Norbert College, the Board of Directors of the Religious Formation Conference; he presently serves on the Board of Directors of the Resource Center for Religious Institutes, the Board of Directors and Vice-President of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men.  

Fr. James served as Defender of the Bond for the National Appeals Tribunal of Canada, as a Judge for the Green Bay Diocese Appeals Marriage Tribunal, a Judge for the Chicago Archdiocese Marriage Appeals Tribunal and an Associate Judicial Vicar for Canonical Affairs. Fr. James presently serves as Presiding Judge, a Promoter of Justice, and a Defender of the Bond for the Wilmington Diocese Tribunal. He also serves on the Norbertine Order’s Juridical Commission in Rome. 

Fr. James served as Prior of St. Norbert Abbey (2005-13) and the Local Superior and Formator of the Abbey’s Holy Spirit House of Studies in Chicago (2013-18). He now serves as the elected Prior de Regimini and Major Superior of Immaculate Conception Priory of the Norbertine Fathers of Delaware since 2018.  Fr. James is a member of the Canon Law Society of America, the Black Catholic Theological Symposium, the Religious Formation Conference, the Resource Center for Religious Institutes and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men.