Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud


The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota, United States. This diocese covers Benton, Douglas, Grant, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Pope, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, and Wilkin counties. It is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Its See city is Saint Cloud. The cathedral parish is the Cathedral of St. Mary. On September 20, 2013, Pope Francis named Donald Joseph Kettler bishop.

History

On February 12, 1875 Pope Pius IX established the Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Minnesota. The territory, which had been part of the Diocese of Saint Paul, was evangelized by the missionary priest Father Francis Xavier Pierz. It lost territory when the Diocese of Duluth was established in 1889. On September 22 of the same year the vicariate was elevated by Pope Leo XIII to the Diocese of Saint Cloud.
The patron saint of the Diocese is Clodoald, a Merovingian prince who renounced his claims to the throne of the Franks, in favor of religious life. The diocese is named for the City of Saint Cloud, which takes its name from a French city, named for Clodoald.

Sex abuse cases and bankruptcy

Between April and October of 2016, the Diocese turned over 13,500 documents detailing cases of sex abuse. The Diocese announced on February 28, 2018 that it would file for bankruptcy amid lawsuits regarding sexual abuse. On March 5, 2018, the Diocese of St. Cloud became the fourth diocese in Minnesota to declare bankruptcy after passage of the Minnesota Child Victims Act of 2013, which lifted the civil statute of limitations for child abuse sexual allegations until 2016. On August 22, 2018, Diocese director of communications Joe Towalski announced that the Diocese of Saint Cloud would cooperate with a proposed grand jury investigation to disclose names of accused priests. Later that day, Diocese director of communications Joe Towalski announced that the Diocese of Saint Cloud would cooperate with a proposed grand jury investigation to disclose names of accused priests.
On May 26, 2020, it was agreed that the Diocese could undergo bankruptcy if $22.5 million was forfeited to compensate 70 sex abuse survivors. The same day, St. Cloud Bishop Donald Kettler issued an apology to the sex abuse survivors for the harm they suffered, and said he remained committed to "assist in the healing of all those who have been hurt."

Bishops

A list of bishops and their terms of service:

Vicar Apostolic of Northern Minnesota

  1. Rupert Seidenbusch, O.S.B.

    Bishops of Saint Cloud

  2. John Joseph Frederick Otto Zardetti, appointed Archbishop of Bucharest
  3. Martin Marty, O.S.B.
  4. James Trobec
  5. Joseph Francis Busch
  6. Peter William Bartholome
  7. George Henry Speltz
  8. Jerome George Hanus, O.S.B., appointed Coadjutor Archbishop and later Archbishop of Dubuque
  9. John Francis Kinney
  10. Donald Joseph Kettler

    Coadjutor bishops