Paul Sirba


Paul David Sirba was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota from 2009 until his death.

Early life and education

Sirba was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He graduated from the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minnesota. He completed his studies at the Saint Paul Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota and at the Notre Dame Institute for Catechetics in Alexandria, Virginia.

Ordination and ministry

Sirba was ordained a priest May 31, 1986, for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. He served in the following positions: assistant priest of the Saint Olaf Parish in Minneapolis and Saint John the Baptist Parish, Spiritual Director of the Seminary of Saint John Vianney, pastor of the Maternity of Mary Parish, Saint Paul, Director of Spiritual Formation in the Saint Paul Seminary, Saint Paul, vicar general of the same archdiocese since June 2009.

Bishop of Duluth, Minnesota

On October 15, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him to fill the vacancy as bishop of Duluth succeeding Dennis Schnurr, who was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati in October 2008. Sirba was consecrated and installed as the bishop of Duluth on December 14, 2009.
Bishop Sirba died after a heart attack on December 1, 2019.