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Roman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck

Coordinates:46°48′30″N100°46′09″W/ 46.80833°N 100.76917°W/46.80833; -100.76917
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Diocese of Bismarck

Dioecesis Bismarcquensis
Cathedral of the Holy Spirit
Coat of arms
Location
CountryUnited States
Territory23 counties in western North Dakota
Ecclesiastical provinceSaint Paul and Minneapolis
Statistics
Area88,720 km2(34,250 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2012)
274,100
66,200 (24.2%)
Parishes98
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iurischurchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedDecember 31, 1909 (114 years ago)
CathedralCathedral of the Holy Spirit
Patron saintImmaculate Conception
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopDavid D. Kagan
Metropolitan ArchbishopBernard Hebda
Map
Website
bismarckdiocese

TheDiocese of Bismarck(Latin:Dioecesis Bismarckiensis) is aLatin Churchecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of theCatholic Churchin westernNorth Dakotain the United States. It is asuffragan diocesein the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitanArchdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

As of 2023, thebishopof the Diocese of Bismarck is David Kagan. The mother church of the diocese isCathedral of the Holy SpiritinBismarck.

Territory

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The Diocese of Bismarck encompasses 24 North Dakota counties over 34,000 square miles:

Adams, Billings, Bowman, Burke, Burleigh, Divide, Dunn, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Oliver, Renville, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Ward and Williams counties (along with the western part of Bottineau County).[1]

The diocese has a total population over 253,000 people, with approximately 66,400 Catholic church members.

History

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1800 to 1900

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The Dakotas area went through several Catholic jurisdictions before the creation of the Diocese of Fargo:

The first Catholic church in western North Dakota was the Church of the Immaculate Conception, dedicated in Bismarck in 1875.[3]

1900 to 1951

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On December 31, 1909Pope Pius Xestablished the Diocese of Bismarck, taking its territory from the Diocese of Fargo.[4][5]He appointed ReverendVincent de Paul Wehrleas the first bishop of the new diocese. During Wehrle's 29-year-long tenure, the Catholic population increased from 25,000 to 55,000. He constructed 55 churches, 18parochial schools,and fourhospitalswere established. Wehrle established 115 new congregations. He also began construction on the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, but was forced to abandon his efforts due to theGreat Depression.[6]

After Wehrle retired in 1939,Pope Pius XIInamed MonsignorVincent Ryanof Fargo as the second bishop of Bismarck.[7]During his 11-year tenure, Ryan constructed 69 church buildings for a total cost of over ten million dollars.[8]Ryan founded the diocesan newspaper,Dakota Catholic Action,in 1941.[8]The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit was dedicated in 1945.[8]Ryan publicly opposed the 1948 North Dakota "anti-garb" law, which prohibited nuns from wearing theirreligious habitswhile teaching inpublic schools.[8]Ryan died in 1951.

1952 to 1982

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In 1952, MonsignorLambert Hochof theDiocese of Sioux Fallswas appointed the third bishop of Bismarck, by Pius XII.[9]During his four-year tenure, Hoch worked to promote vocations to the priesthood andreligious life;between 1952 and 1960, 29 priests were ordained for the diocese and 13 for Assumption Abbey inRichardton.[10]Hoch became bishop of Sioux Falls in 1956.

Pius XII named MonsignorHilary Hackerof Saint Paul as the fourth bishop of Bismarck in 1956.[11]Hacker dedicated much of his tenure implementing theSecond Vatican Councilreforms, especially theMass of Paul VI,and greater participation of thelaity.[12]His tenure was also marked by highCatholic schoolenrollment, as well as the founding ofBishop Ryan High Schoolin Minot andTrinity High Schoolin Dickinson. He also established an annual appeal called God's Share; between 1956 and 1963, the annual collection rose from $165,000 to $225,000.[12]Hacker retired in 1982.

1982 to present

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The next bishop of Bismarck was Auxiliary BishopJohn Kinneyof Saint Paul and Minneapolis, named byPope John Paul IIin 1982. Kinney became bishop of theDiocese of Saint Cloudin 1995.[13]To replace Kinney, the pope appointed Auxiliary BishopPaul Zipfelof the Archdiocese of Saint Louis in 1997 as bishop of Bismarck. Zipfel retired in 2011.[14]

The bishop of Bismarck, as of 2023, is David Kagan from theDiocese of Rockford.He was appointed byPope Benedict XVIin 2011.[15]In 2015, Kagan announced that the diocese was cutting ties with theBoy Scouts of Americadue to policy changes allowing gay men to become scout leaders and volunteers.[16]Kagan announced in 2022 that the diocese would investigate the life of Michelle Duppong for possiblecanonization.She conducted missionary work for several years at universities and colleges in North Dakota.[17]

Sex abuse

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In 2002, Bishop Zipfel introduced a zero-tolerance policy ofsexual abuseallegations against priests in the diocese. Under the policy, anyone accused of abuse would be immediately removed from active ministry and reported to the police for investigation.[18]

In 2019, the diocese released the names of 22 clergy with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors since 1950.[19]In 2020, Bishop Kagan released a list of 18 diocesan clergy and four extern clergy with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors. He stated that the last substantiated case of sexual abuse occurred in 1989.[20]

Bishops

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Bishops of Bismarck

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  1. John Baptist Vincent de Paul Wehrle,O.S.B.(1910–1939)
  2. Vincent James Ryan(1940–1951)
  3. Lambert Anthony Hoch(1952–1956), appointedBishop of Sioux Falls
  4. Hilary Baumann Hacker(1956–1982)
  5. John Francis Kinney(1982–1995), appointedBishop of Saint Cloud
  6. Paul Albert Zipfel(1996–2011)
  7. David D. Kagan(2011–Present)

Other diocesan priests who became bishops

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Diocesan officers

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  • Bishop
  • Chancellor
  • Financial officer
  • Judicial vicar
  • Vicar general

Diocesan offices

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  • Canonical Affairs
  • Chancery
  • Communication
  • Faith Formation
  • Family Ministry
  • Fiscal & Properties Management
  • Insurance & Risk Management
  • Missionary Activity
  • Permanent Diaconate
  • Protecting the Children
  • Publications & Promotions
  • Stewardship and Development
  • Vocations
  • Worship
  • Youth Ministry

Diocesan consultative groups

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  • Corporate Board
  • Expansion Fund Board
  • Finance Council
  • Permanent Diaconate Commission
  • Priests' Benefit Association
  • Priests' Personnel Board
  • Presbyteral Council

Education

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The Diocese of Bismarck has three high schools and 11 elementary schools or pre-schools.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^"About".
  2. ^"Fargo (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]".catholic-hierarchy.org.Retrieved2023-10-07.
  3. ^"Our History".Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary.RetrievedApril 29,2023.
  4. ^"Diocese of Bismarck".Catholic-Hierarchy.Retrieved2014-04-16.
  5. ^"Diocese of Bismarck".Gcatholic.org.Retrieved2014-04-16.
  6. ^"Vincent De Paul Wehrle, O.S.B., D.D. 1910–1939".Roman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck.Archived fromthe originalon 2010-04-30.Retrieved2009-09-07.
  7. ^"Bishop Vincent James Ryan [Catholic-Hierarchy]".catholic-hierarchy.org.Retrieved2023-10-07.
  8. ^abcd"Vincent J. Ryan, D.D., L.L.D. 1940–1951".Roman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck.Archived fromthe originalon 2010-04-30.Retrieved2009-09-07.
  9. ^"Bishop Lambert Anthony Hoch".Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  10. ^"Lambert A. Hoch, DD., L.L.D. 1952-1956".Roman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck.Archived fromthe originalon 2012-06-17.Retrieved2009-09-07.
  11. ^"Bishop Hilary Baumann Hacker [Catholic-Hierarchy]".catholic-hierarchy.org.Retrieved2023-10-07.
  12. ^ab"Hilary B. Hacker, D.D. 1956-1982".Roman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck.Archived fromthe originalon 2010-04-30.Retrieved2009-06-29.
  13. ^Simon-Johnson, Barb."Bishop John F. Kinney".Diocese of Saint Cloud.Retrieved2022-10-09.
  14. ^"Bishop Paul Albert Zipfel [Catholic-Hierarchy]".catholic-hierarchy.org.Retrieved2023-10-07.
  15. ^"Rinunce e nomine, 19.10.2011".Archived fromthe originalon April 3, 2012.RetrievedOctober 20,2011.
  16. ^CNA."Why the Boy Scouts' new policy led a Catholic bishop to cut ties".Catholic News Agency.Retrieved2023-04-29.
  17. ^Agency, Catholic News."Did a saint work in Catholic campus ministry? Bismarck diocese opens inquiry for Michelle Duppong".catholicworldreport.Retrieved2023-04-29.
  18. ^"Zipfel: New sexual abuse policy will help".Prairie Public Broadcasting.2002-06-19.Retrieved2022-10-10.
  19. ^"North Dakota dioceses name 53 Catholic officials accused of sexually abusing children".Grand Forks Herald.
  20. ^"Bismarck Diocese names priests with sexual abuse claims".Valley News Live.2020-01-03.Retrieved2023-04-29.
  21. ^"School Finder".Bismarck Diocese.Retrieved2023-10-07.
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46°48′30″N100°46′09″W/ 46.80833°N 100.76917°W/46.80833; -100.76917

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