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Vincent de Paul Wehrle, was appointed the first Bishop of Bismarck on April 9, 1910 and consecrated on May 19 of that same year.
He was born at Berg in the Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland, December 19, 1855, the son of John Baptist and Elizabeth Hafner Wehrle. Vincent studied four years at the seminary of St. Gall and two years at Einsiedeln. He became a member of the Order of St. Benedict in 1875 and was ordained to the priesthood on April 23, 1882. That same year he came to America and to the Benedictine community of St. Subiaco in Arkansas. Later he went to St. Meinrad's Abbey at Jasper, Ind., and while there attracted the attention of Bishop Martin Marty of Yankton, Dakota Territory, who was in charge of the vicarate apostolic of the two Dakotas.
In 1887, Bishop Wehrle came to the Dakotas and obtained a grasp of its conditions almost immediately by reason of his service as chancellor of the diocese, a position tantamount to that of secretary to the bishop. Going into the field after his service as chancellor, the young priest faced the task of bringing religion to a frontier where life still was very rough. He held services wherever there was a Catholic family. He preached the Gospel unceasingly, traveling by horse or ox team, on foot or by train to do so. Many a night he spent alone on the prairie, huddling under the ever-present buffalo robes to keep warm.
An enthusiastic and devoted member of the Order of St. Benedict, one of his ambitions was to further its interests and in 1893 he established the first unit of St. Gall's Monastery in a modest frame building at Devils Lake. It was called the Priory of St. Gall and the then Father Wehrle was its first prior.
On recommendation of Bishop John Shanley of Fargo, Prior Wehrle decided to make a second foundation for a religious community and selected a site at Richardton for this purpose. Bishop Shanley applied to the Holy Father for permission to organize another religious center in North Dakota and the request was granted on March 5, 1902. The new community was admitted
into the Swiss-American congregation of Benedictines and Prior Wehrle was appointed as the
first Abbot by Pope Pius X.
The Richardton Abbey immediately became a center for Catholic activity in western North Dakota. Almost at once new parishes were formed at St. Placidus near Mott; St. Stephen's, south of Richardton; St. Elizabeth at Lefor; Sts. Peter and Paul at Strasburg and missions at Holy Trinity and St. Aloysius.
By 1910 the work of the far-flung Diocese of North Dakota had become too much for the lone bishop located at Fargo, and Pope Pius X decided to create a new diocese. Abbot Wehrle was chosen as the first Bishop of Bismarck and was consecrated bishop in the St. Paul Seminary Chapel on May 19, 1910, in one of the most magnificent ceremonies in American church history. On that day, Archbishop John Ireland consecrated six suffragan bishops destined for dioceses in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.
A festive parade welcomed the new bishop to Bismarck on June 13. Three days later he was formally installed in St. Mary's procathedral in Bismarck by Archbishop Ireland. Many dignitaries, including Governor Burke, graced the church and civic celebrations that day At first the Bishop lived in St. Mary's rectory and in 1911 he purchased the Thompson house, once known as the most elegant residence in the State of North Dakota. It also served as the chancery office. Bishop Wehrle insisted on pecking out his letters on a typewriter "for a secretary would just be in the way."
Soon after his installation, Bishop Wehrle performed an act very dear to his heart. On July 6, 1910, he dedicated the beautiful Abbey Church at Richardton.
Under Bishop Wehrle's leadership, the Diocese of Bismarck grew and prospered. Many new churches were established as the need for them arose and at the time of Bishop Wehrle's retirement there were 55,000 Roman Catholics in the area, instead of the 25,000 who lived there when he took charge. During his years as Abbot and Bishop, he was instrumental in the erection of 55 churches and 115 congregations. By the time of his retirement in 1939, Bishop Wehrle had 105 priests as co-workers in the territory. There were 74 parishes with 82 missions attached to them, and 18 parochial schools and four hospitals had been erected.
Bishop Wehrle had special devotion to the Holy Spirit and it was his dream to construct a beautiful cathedral as a shrine to the Holy Spirit. In 1917, he bought land on the west end of Bismarck for the cathedral site. In 1921, he had architect Anton Dohman of Milwaukee draw up the plans. The first plan was similar to the Abbey Church, while his second draft was strikingly similar to the plan later adopted by Bishop Ryan.
In the spring of 1922, loads of prairie rocks were hauled to the site. They were to be used for the foundation and basement, while the superstructure was to be of brick. Negotiations continued for stained glass windows, copper roof, bricks, heating, statuary, etc., but no construction actually took place. Contributions were requested, but results were meager. Year after year construction was postponed. As late as 1935, Bishop Wehrle still dreamed of building the cathedral, but with his diocese in the midst of the Great Depression, he could not ask his people for any more money. He, therefore, left the construction of the cathedral to his successor.
His advancing years and the rigors of an active career took their toll on the pioneer priest, however, and his health began to fail in 1937. On Dec. 11, 1939, he was retired by order of the Holy Father., and granted the title of Titular Bishop of Teos. In Prairie Church, the account of his resignation included a light note, "...when Wehrle was 84 years old and hospitalized, Archbishop Murray of St. Paul arrived in Bismarck with a mission. He came to obtain Wehrle's signature of resignation. The Bishop of Bismarck still had an ounce of fight left in him, so he held out for a day. Then he asked Fr. Amandus Studer, OSB, the chaplain of St. Alexius, for an ink pen."
For several months before his official retirement, he had been a patient at St. Alexius Hospital and he remained there continuously until the time of his death.
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Bishop Vincent James Ryan succeeded Bishop Wehrle as the Second Bishop of Bismarck. He was appointed March 19, 1940, and consecrated on May 28 of that year.
He was born on July 1, 1884, in Arlington Township, Columbia County, Wis. He was fourth of five children born to Thomas F. Ryan and Ann Walsh Ryan. He was reared on the family farm and attended grade school at the district school nearby. The young Vincent Ryan enrolled in high school at Lodi, Wis., and remained in that school for two years. In 1902, he entered the minor seminary of St. Francis in Milwaukee, where he completed his high school and college studies.
The first evidences of his zeal and desire to live nobly for God were seen in 1906 when the young man transferred to the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. He was not content with the prospect of laboring in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, his native diocese, where the church was well established. He asked the rector of the St. Paul Seminary to arrange an interview for him with the first bishop of a missionary diocese that came here seeking students. It was perhaps providential that the first bishop to visit the seminary that year was a great missionary, Bishop John Shanley. He was accepted as a student for the Diocese of Fargo after only a brief conference.
Father Ryan was ordained in 1912 by Archbishop Ireland in the seminary chapel at St. Paul. When he arrived in Fargo on July 16 of that year, the pioneering Bishop Shanley had been succeeded by Bishop James Reilly. Father Ryan's first appointment was as secretary to the bishop and chancellor of the diocese, offices he held for 22 years. Though his duties as secretary to the bishop and chancellor were heavy, Father Ryan still found time for many other activities. He was assigned the difficult task of organizing and building a new parish on the south side of Fargo. The beautiful church and school at St. Anthony's and the well organized parish attest to the energy and zeal of Father Ryan.
In his ever increasing field of labor, Father Ryan organized and became the first director of the Catholic Welfare Bureau. Under his direction, the agency developed into one of the most important charity offices in the state. He was named Diocesan Director of Charities by Bishop O'Reilly, and achieved a national reputation for work in this field. He became active in the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and in 1941 was named national president of this group. He championed the dignity of the farmer and was an outstanding advocate of scientific methods of farming and family size. He co-authored a book, Manifesto of Rural Life, which was used internationally.
The untiring efforts of Father Ryan merited for him the signal of being appointed a Domestic Prelate with the title of monsignor by Pope Pius XII in 1939. It was only six months later that he was again recognized by the Holy See. This time he was named by the pope as Bishop of Bismarck to succeed Bishop Wehrle who had retired because of ill health.
Bishop Ryan was consecrated Bishop of Bismarck on May 28, 1940, in St. Mary's Cathedral in Fargo. The same day he journeyed to Bismarck, and was installed in St. Mary's Pro-cathedral by Archbishop Murray of St. Paul on May 29. On this occasion, Bishop Ryan gave a short but touching address: "I have been sent to you by Christ's Vicegerent on earth, Pope Pius XII, to be the bishop and shepherd of your souls. It is my prayer and my hope that there are better days ahead for western North Dakota."
Ryan brought to his new position energy and enthusiasm that sparked clergy and laity alike to accomplishments that no one thought possible.
Bishop Ryan's wish was realized for the most prosperous years in the history of this state were about to begin. Bishop Wehrle had laid a solid foundation of Catholicism and prepared for the expansion that was to come. Bishop Ryan made the most of the opportunities which were presented, and immediately set about the task of building up the church in western North Dakota.
The first building that was constructed under his administration was the chancery office and bishop's home in Bismarck--still used for that purpose today.
Construction on the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck was begun in September of 1941. Despite the difficulties imposed by the war, the building was substantially completed in 1945. Bishop Ryan dedicated it on August 30, 1945.
During the eleven years of his episcopacy in Bismarck, Bishop Ryan supervised the construction of over ten million dollars of church building. Included were churches, rectories, school buildings, institutions for the elderly, hospitals, convents, a mother house and parish halls, for a total of 69 buildings!
One of the projects dear to the heart of Bishop Ryan was Home on the Range for Boys at Sentinel Butte. Together with Father Elwood Cassedy, Bishop Ryan organized and aided in the financing of this ranch for homeless boys. The ranch was given to the diocese for this purpose by E.E. Lievans.
Bishop Ryan truly lived up to the name of the "building bishop" in the Diocese of Bismarck. His true greatness, however, lay in his deep spirituality. When chosen as bishop, he took as his motto, "Charity Above All." This motto was not just a device for his coat of arms; it was his rule of life.
It was Bishop Ryan's often stated desire to die as poor as Lazarus. His wish was fulfilled. He had given away nearly all of his possessions, so that at his death he possessed only the clothes he wore, some books, souvenirs accumulated over the years, and a few dollars in his pocket.
Bishop Ryan was the founder and sponsor of Dakota Catholic Action, the official diocesan newspaper which was started in 1941.
He instituted a system of finance for the diocese known as "God's Acre" which was later adopted by many other dioceses. God's Acre was the forerunner of the God's Share Appeal, now in its 49th year in the Diocese of Bismarck.
When the "anti-garb" campaign was waged in North Dakota in 1948, Bishop Ryan led in the defense of the rights of those wearing religious garb to teach in the public schools of the state. The opposition was well organized and had carried on vigorous campaign before the Catholics of the state were aware of their activities. Bishop Ryan rose to the challenge, and his efforts to defeat this measure were very nearly successful. In conjunction with Bishop Leo Dworschak of the Fargo Diocese, he appealed to the Holy See for permission for the sisters to teach in lay clothing. The victory for the anti-Catholics and the bigots was rendered empty when the Holy See granted their request. Friends and enemies alike had a new admiration for Bishop Ryan following this campaign.
Bishop Ryan died quietly on Saturday, November 10, 1951. He is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Bismarck.
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With the death of Bishop Ryan, Bishop Lambert A. Hoch was named the Third Bishop of Bismarck on January 29, 1952.
Born at Elkton, SD, February 6, 1903, Lambert Hoch was the son of George and Philomena (Kniest) Hoch. He attended St. Mary's Grade School in Elkton and the Elkton Public High School. In 1920, he matriculated at Creighton University, Omaha, Neb. Following his graduation from Creighton University, he studied theology at the St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
Hoch was ordained a priest on May 30, 1928, by Bishop Bernard J. Mahoney in St. Joseph's Cathedral, Sioux Falls, SD. His first appointment following ordination was as a professor at Columbus College in Sioux Falls. Following the closing of the college, he served as an assistant pastor in Watertown, SD, where he served from 1929 to 1932. He was named chancellor of the Diocese of Sioux Falls in 1933. While serving in that capacity, he also was chaplain of McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls for eleven years.
Hoch was honored by Pope Pius XI on January 17, 1935, by having the title of Very Rev. Monsignor conferred on him. Eight years later, in 1943, he was made a domestic prelate by Pope Pius XII with the title of Right Reverend Monsignor.
On January 29, 1952, Hoch was appointed Bishop of Bismarck by Pope Pius XII. Archbishop A.G. Cicognani, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, consecrated Lambert Hoch for the Diocese of Bismarck on March 25, 1952, the feast of the Annunciation, making him the first native South Dakotan to be named a bishop. On April 2, 1952, Bishop Hoch was installed as the Third Bishop of Bismarck in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck. Archbishop John Gregory Murray of the Archdiocese of St. Paul presided at the ceremonies.
In one of his first messages to the people of the diocese, Bishop Hoch made a strong appeal for vocations to the priesthood and to the religious life: "Nothing will please us more than to know that our priests, our religious and our people are storming heaven to obtain from God the grace of many vocations for our portion of the Lord's vineyard and that our boys and girls, our young men and women are daily sending up prayers to God to guide them in their choice of a state of life."
Throughout his five years at Bismarck, Bishop Hoch worked tirelessly to promote religious vocations. Year after year appeared elaborate vocations issues of the Dakota Catholic Action. Special diocesan contests were held in which school children competed for prizes for the best vocations posters, essays and plays. In May, 1956, a huge vocation program attracted adults and children to Bismarck to see beautiful religious displays and to witness the ordination of three priests.
Bishop Hoch also requested the people of the diocese to offer a special vocation prayer at each Mass and at Benediction. Many of the blessings of the vocation program are intangible, and cannot be measured by a numerical count. People became more vocation conscious and many young men and women entered religious life during Bishop Hoch's tenure in the diocese. Between 1952 and 1960, 42 priests were ordained--29 for the diocese and 13 for Assumption Abbey.
On December 5, 1956, Bishop Hoch was named Fifth Bishop of Sioux Falls, SD. He left Bismarck in February of 1957. With his transfer to Sioux Falls, Bishop Hoch returned to the diocese of his birth and first dedication, as the successor of Bishop William O. Brady who was transferred to St. Paul, Minn. He served in that capacity until his retirement from the active ministry on June 13, 1978.
During his sixty-two years of priestly service, Bishop Hoch was instrumental in the implementation of the Second Vatican Council decrees, in a number of ecumenical relationships and the establishing of the South Dakota Association of Christian Churches.
Bishop Hoch died on June 27, 1990, at McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls, following a lengthy illness. He was 87. Funeral services were held in St. Joseph Cathedral with burial in Sioux Falls.
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Following the transfer of Bishop Lambert Hoch to the Diocese of Sioux Falls, the Diocese of New Ulm, Minn., gave us the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Bismarck. Most Reverend Hilary B. Hacker was appointed on December 29, 1956, and consecrated in the Cathedral of St. Paul on February 27, 1957, with Archbishop William O. Brady presiding. Brady also officiated at Bishop Hacker's installation in Bismarck on March 14, 1957. The new bishop was only 44 years of age at the time of his appointment and the youngest bishop to be chosen for the church in western North Dakota.
Hilary B. Hacker was born to Emil and Sophia (Bauman) Hacker on Jan. 10, 1913, in New Ulm, Minn. He attended Holy Trinity Grade School and then Holy Trinity High School for two years before entering Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary to complete his classical education.
He then attended the St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., from 1932 to 1938 and was ordained to the priesthood on June 4, 1938, by Archbishop John Gregory Murray.
After his ordination, Father Hacker was appointed assistant at the Church of the Nativity in St. Paul. Later, in 1938, he was sent to Rome for graduate studies at the Gregorian University where he received a degree in Canon Law. He was named chancellor of the Archdiocese of St. Paul in 1941 and held that position until May 30, 1945, when he was appointed vicar general of the archdiocese, a position he held until being named Bishop of Bismarck.
During Bishop Hacker's tenure in the Diocese of Bismarck, Pope John XXIII called an ecumenical council, the first in a hundred years. Every bishop in the world--approximately 2,500--was invited to attend. Bishop Hacker left for Rome in September of 1962, asking the people of the diocese to make a novena at the beginning of the Council for its success. The Vatican Council lasted four years and consisted of a fall session each year, the final session beginning in October of 1965. Bishop Hacker was in attendance at each of the fall sessions of the Second Vatican Council.
Much of Bishop Hacker's tenure as Bishop of Bismarck was spent implementing the directives of the Second Vatican Council, much of which was aimed at more participation of the laity. One of the first changes to take place was Mass facing the people and for some parts to be in English. Bishop Hacker assured his diocese that the change was done to make the Mass more understandable. He urged the people to respond by enthusiastic participation.
Catholic school enrollment reached its high-water mark for all time in 1964, with some 9,800 students involved. Part of this was due to the formation of Bishop Ryan High School in Minot and Trinity High School in Dickinson, which along with St. Mary's Central in Bismarck, gave the diocese three large urban Catholic schools. Most Catholic students were not attending Catholic schools, so great strides were made in developing catechetical programs for students, with much emphasis put on teacher preparation.
Also during this time the beautiful Annunciation Priory was completed in 1960 and the Benedictines of Sacred Heart of Minot moved their community to Richardton.
There were a number of "firsts" in the diocese during Bishop Hacker's tenure here. Being a careful manager of diocesan finances, he consolidated all collections into one annual appeal called God's Share. A general figure of 1 percent of net income was set as a standard. Between 1956 and 1963, the annual collection rose from $165,000 to $225,000.
Soon after Bishop Hacker arrived, Fr. Patrick Peyton brought his Family Rosary Crusade to western North Dakota. Over 25,000 people flocked to outdoor services in Bismarck, Williston, Dickinson and Minot on Sept. 7-8, 1958 to hear the priest whose slogan was "The Family That Prays Together Stays Together."
Another outstanding moment in the Church of Bismarck took place in August of 1962 when the first local priest was named a bishop. Fr. Sylvester Treinen was consecrated Bishop of Boise, Idaho, at the age of 44, with the service taking place in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck.
Following twenty-five years as bishop of the Diocese of Bismarck, Bishop Hacker retired on May 28, 1982. He continued in active ministry residing and serving the Church of Christ the King in Mandan.
In 1988, Bishop Hacker celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination in a joint celebration with Bishop John F. Kinney who was celebrating his 25th anniversary of priestly ordination. The Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck.
When Emmaus Place, the retirement home for priests, was completed and ready for occupancy in 1986, Bishop Hacker became one of its residents and continued to maintain an active priestly schedule by assisting at confirmations, parish liturgies and offering daily Mass at St. Vincent's Nursing Home in Bismarck.
Bishop Hacker died Nov. 6, 1990, at St. Alexius Medical Center following a brief illness. He is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Bismarck.
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Bishop John F. Kinney was appointed the Fifth Bishop of Bismarck on June 30, 1982, by Pope John Paul II, and installed on August 23, 1982, in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck.
John Kinney was born to John Francis and Marie (McCarty) Kinney in Oelwein, Iowa, on June 11, 1937. He attended elementary school in Winona and Minneapolis, Minn. He received his high school education at De LaSalle, Minneapolis. Following his seminarian years at Nazareth Hall and St. Paul Seminary, both in St. Paul, Minn., he was ordained a priest at St. Paul Cathedral, St. Paul, by Archbishop Leo Binz on Feb. 2, 1963.
Following his ordination, he served as an assistant pastor and vice-chancellor in St. Paul-Minneapolis until 1968 when he went to Rome to pursue graduate studies at Lateran University. He completed a doctorate in canon law in 1971. He resumed his position as vice chancellor of the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese from 1971 to 1973 when he was named chancellor of the archdiocese in 1973, and also served as pastor of St. Leonard of Port Maurice Church in Minneapolis. He was appointed an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis on Nov. 16, 1976, by Pope Paul VI. His episcopal ordination took place at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis on Jan. 25, 1977.
On June 28, 1982, Pope John Paul II appointed him the Fifth Bishop of Bismarck. He was installed in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck on August 23 of that year.
There are numerous highlights that mark Bishop Kinney's tenure in the Diocese of Bismar In June of 1984, he held the first annual Town and Country Celebration, which has become an annual event in the diocese.
The former Benedictine convent was remodeled and became the Diocesan Center for Pastoral Ministry, with diocesan offices operating there, in the C.B. Little House and the chancery.
The Diocese of Bismarck celebrated its 75th anniversary in September of 1985.
In 1987, the diocese began the RENEW program. This program would continue through 1989 and saw thousands of people come together in small groups to strengthen and renew their Catholic faith.
On June 23, 1988, Bishop Kinney celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood with a Mass of Thanksgiving, con-celebrated with Bishop Hilary Hacker who was noting his 50th anniversary of ordination.
In 1990, Bishop Kinney led the diocese in a new direction by establishing a mission in Bura Tana, Kenya, East Africa. Four local people made up the first mission team the diocese sent to a foreign country. In his homily at the sending ceremony, Bishop Kinney noted that four were going to Africa, but "in a sense we all go--no one is left behind. Some go in person, the rest are part of the mission spirit by their prayer and financial contributions." The mission continues today in Kisii, Kenya, with Evan Beauchamp serving the Church of Bismarck in Africa.
One of the most notable accomplishments during Bishop Kinney's years in the Diocese of Bismarck was the renovation of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Groundbreaking for the $1.7 renovation project took place on April 13, 1992, and 14 months later, on June 15, 1993, the renovated cathedral was dedicated in an impression ceremony.
In addition to inaugurating programs in the Diocese of Bismarck, Bishop Kinney was active on the national level, holding a number of positions in the NCCB (National Conference of Catholic Bishops). In June of 1993, he was appointed to chair the NCCB Ad Hoc Committee to deal with the problem of sexual abuse of children by priests. He also serves on the national board of Catholic Relief Services. In this capacity, he made a number of trips to foreign countries faced with many humanitarian problems.
In August of 1993, Bishop Kinney was in Denver, along with more than 300 youth from the Bismarck Diocese for World Youth Day. Pope John Paul II joined the more than 500,000 youth from around the world for this event.
Bishop Kinney was a very pastoral bishop and a gentle shepherd to his flock. He issued a number of pastoral letters to his flock covering such topics as youth, AIDS, education and tax deduction legislation; and the sacrament of reconciliation.
His direction and vision resulted in the formation of a diocesan staff and office structure that responds effectively to the needs of the people of the diocese. His work with the permanent diaconate was outstanding, and his love for youth was infectious. During his years in the Bismarck Diocese, Bishop Kinney ordained 15 priests and 45 permanent deacons.
Kinney's ecumenical spirit was also very evident. He served as president of the North Dakota Conference of Churches, and had a special friendship with ELCA head, Bishop Robert Lynne. At the time of his transfer to St. Cloud, the two denominations were working on a covenant.
Bishop Kinney came from rural roots and always enjoyed the rural setting of western North Dakota. His ministry in this diocese was summed up by Msgr. Gerald Walsh in these words: "Christian hospitality. Whether it was his liturgical style at liturgies and sacraments, chairing a meeting or just sitting around his own dining room table, he had the great gift of making everyone feel comfortable."
On May 9, 1995, Bishop Kinney was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minn. He was installed there on July 6, 1995. The Diocese of Bismarck then became a vacant See, under the leadership of Msgr. Gerald J. Walsh, administrator, until the appointment on Dec. 31, 1996, of Bishop Paul A. Zipfel of St. Louis as Bishop Kinney's successor.
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Bishop Paul A. Zipfel was appointed sixth bishop of Bismarck on December 31, 1996. He was installed at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck on February 20, 1997.
Bishop Zipfel was born September 22, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Albert J. and Leona (Rau) Zipfel. He attended St. Michael Elementary School, St. Louis Preparatory Seminary and Kenrick Seminary, all in St. Louis. He completed his seminary education at Catholic University, Washington, D.C. in 1961. On March 18, 1961, he was ordained to the priesthood in St. Louis.
He received his Licentiate in Sacred Theology in 1961, and from 1963-65 completed graduate studies at St. Louis University. He received a Master of Arts in Education from St. Louis University in 1965.
Between 1961 and 1989 he served as associate pastor, pastor, teacher and administrator in various schools and parishes in the St. Louis area. On June 29,, 1989, he was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
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The official site of the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota
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