Bishop Listecki was first assigned as a deacon at St. Michael Parish in Orland Park from 1974-1975.  His first assignment as a priest was at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Chicago from 1975-1976.  In 1976 he was appointed Dean of Students at Quigley Preparatory Seminary North in Chicago.  Also in 1976 he was assigned to Mater Christi Parish in North Riverside.

He began his graduate studies in Canon Law and Moral Theology in 1979 at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy earning a licentiate and doctorate degree.  In 1976 he earned a civil law degree from DePaul University in Chicago.

Upon returning from Rome he began teaching Canon Law and Moral Theology at the Archdiocesan major seminary, the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.  He taught at Mundelein Seminary until being named pastor of St. Ignatius Parish in August, 2000.  On November 7, 2000 he was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago by Pope John Paul II and was ordained a bishop on January 8, 2001.  In January, 2002 Bishop Listecki was named the Episcopal Bishop of Vicariate I of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

In addition to his duties as Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar for Vicariate 1, he is also a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserves, still supporting the local troops.

Bishop Listecki is a member of numerous boards and committees.  He has also been involved in many different projects including an Appellate Judge for the Matrimonial Tribunal, in-house legal counsel for the Archdiocese of Chicago form 1985-1987, being a host for WIND Catholic Conversation from 1978-1979, a celebrant fro WGN Mass for Shut-ins and being a producer for several television programs.

Bishop Listecki's sister, Mary (Penny) resides in the south suburbs of Chicago.

Bishop Listecki was installed as Ninth Bishop of La Crosse in the Year of the Eucharist, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, succeeding the Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke who was Archbishop of St. Louis in January 2004.

Bishop Listecki's Coat of Arms

The great seal of the Diocese of La Crosse (viewer's left side of the shield) is on a field of silver.  the three wavy bands at the bottom represent the three rivers flowing through the Diocese - the Mississippi, Wisconsin and Chippewa rivers.  The cross of gold within the canoe symbolizes the travels of the early Jesuit missionaries through the Diocese, and the faith they brought to the area. Below the left arm of the cross is a lacrosse racket, from the game played by Native Americans who first inhabited the territory.  Below the right arm is a sheaf of wheat, indicating the predominantly rural nature of the Diocese.  The wheat is also a symbol of the Hoy Sacrifice of the Mass.  The remainder of the diocesan side of the shield is occupied by three hills of green behind the cross, which represent the bluffs and hills found in the Diocese.

For his personal coat of arms (viewer's right side of the shield), His Excellency, Bishop Listecki has adopted a design suggested by Father Anthony Brankin, that reflects his personal heritage, his life as a priest, and now as a bishop.

The red on the shield is employed for His Excellency's deep devotion to the Sacred Heart.  The majority of the charges of the design are rendered in silver (white) which, with the red, are the colors of the Polish national flag.  By these colors His Excellency honors the ethnic heritage that has come to him from his parents, Harry and Alfreda (Kasprzk) Listecki.

The dominant charge within the design is an open book, to reflect the Bishop's baptismal patron, St. Jerome, who is credited with "The Latin Vulgate" translation of the Sacred Scriptures.  The open book is also used to represent Bishop Listecki's many years of priestly ministry engaged in seminary education, teaching Moral Theology at Quigley, St. Joseph and Mundelein.  The book of laws is emblematic that His Excellency is both a civil and canon lawyer.  Since both bodies of law are responsible to the Law of Christ, the book is charged with the phrase "LEX CHRISTI LEX CARITATIS," meaning the "Law of Christ is the Law of Love."

The open book is placed on two crossed golden swords to reflect first the Bishop's deep devotion to the Defender of the Faith, St. Michael the Archangel.  It is also used to signify the many years His Excellency has been a military chaplain, currently holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (retired) in the United States Army.  It also signifies that at the time of his appointment as bishop, His Excellency was the first diocesan pastor of the Jesuit St. Ignatius Church in Chicago.

The conjoined book and swords are placed below a silver (white) fleur-de-lis, honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The book and swords are also placed below a silver (white) eight-pointed star, the symbol of the light of truth, placed within the design to honor St. Dominic, founder of the religious Order of Preachers.

For his motto, His Excellency has selected the phrase "LIFE IS CHRIST."  This phrase from St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians (Phil 1:18-26) expresses His Excellency's deep belief that, for Catholic Christians, every aspect of life is necessarily intertwined with faith and belief that Jesus Christ and the need to respect life, so endangered in today's society.

The coat of arms is completed with external ornaments: a gold processional cross, placed in back of the shield and extending above and below the shield, and a pontifical hat, called a "gallero," with its six tassels, in three rows, on either side of the shield, all in green.  These are the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop by the instruction of the Holy See of March 31, 1969.