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Diocese of Saint Cloud

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Diocese of Saint Cloud
Dioecesis Sancti Clodoaldi
Cathedral of St Mary
Cathedral of St Mary
Location
Country United States
Territory 16 counties in central Minnesota
Ecclesiastical province Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Statistics
Area 12,251 sq mi (31,730 km2)
Population
Total
Catholics 		(as of 2010)
558,890
142,576 (25.5%)
Parishes 135
Information
Denomination Catholic
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established September 22, 1889 (136 years ago)
Cathedral Cathedral of St. Mary
Patron saint Clodoald
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Bishop Patrick Neary
Metropolitan Archbishop Bernard Hebda
Bishops emeritus Donald Joseph Kettler
Map
Website
stclouddiocese.org

The Diocese of Saint Cloud (Latin: Dioecesis Sancti Clodoaldi) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in central Minnesota in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Its mother church is the Cathedral of St. Mary in St. Cloud. The diocese's patron saint is St. Clodoald. Patrick Neary has been the bishop since 2023.

Territory

The Diocese of Saint Cloud covers Benton, Douglas, Grant, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Pope, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, and Wilkin counties.

History

1800 to 1870

Central Minnesota went through several Catholic jurisdictions before the Vatican erected the Diocese of Saint Cloud:

The first mass in the St. Cloud area was offered by Francis de Vivaldi, a missionary to the Winnebago reservation in Long Prairie in 1851. The mass took place inside a log cabin owned by James Keough.[2] Keough later recalled,

The congregation present was made up of Irish and French Canadians. The altar was prepared by a half-breed (sic) lady, the wife of a Canadian Frenchman. I am the owner of the table used as an altar on that occasion. Some time after this Father Pierz came among us, and subsequently built the first Catholic church at Sauk Rapids.[2]

In 1852, Bishop Joseph Crétin of Saint Paul sent the missionary priest Francis Xavier Pierz to the Ojibwe Nation (Chippewa). Pierz was put in charge of an apostolate in central and northern Minnesota with a large Native American congregation. To attract more European Catholics to the area, he wrote articles in German newspapers about the availability of good agricultural land in Minnesota. By 1855, many German, Slovene, and Luxembourger settlers started arriving in the region.[3] In 1856, five monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, arrived in St. Cloud to minister to the German settlers. They established Saint John's college in 1857 in Collegeville.[4]

1870 to 1900

On February 12, 1875, Pope Pius IX established the Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Minnesota. The pope named Abbot Rupert Seidenbusch, leader of the Abbey of St. Louis on the Lake, as the vicar apostolic.[5] His jurisdiction covered all of present-day Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

After his consecration, Seidenbusch traveled across the vicariate by buggy, wagon, and rail and continued to solicit donations from Europe.[6] He used Saint Mary's Church in St. Cloud as his temporary cathedral, administering confirmation for the first time there in 1875.[7] He performed his first ordinations of seminarians at Saint John's College in 1876.[7] Seidenbusch oversaw the completion of Holy Angels Cathedral in 1884.[7] During his term, the Vatican removed the Dakotas and erected the Diocese of Duluth from the vicariate. Seidenbusch retired due to poor health in 1888.

On September 22, 1888, Pope Leo XIII suppressed the Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Minnesota. to erect the Diocese of Saint Cloud.[8][9] John Zardetti, general vicar of the Vicariate of Dakota, became the first bishop of Saint Cloud. Zardetti immediately started construction of Holy Angels Cathedral in St. Cloud. He worked to enlarge the parochial school system and publish a newspaper for the diocese.[10]

The Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict in 1886 opened St. Benedict Hospital in St. Cloud.[11] In 1889, the Benedictine brothers opened St. Benedict's Academy in St. Cloud. which became St. Benedict's College in 1913.[12]

1900 to 1950

The Sisters of St. Benedict in 1900 replaced St. Benedict Hospital with the larger St. Raphael Hospital.[11] Suffering from the cold climate, the Vatican allowed Zardetti in 1894 to resign as bishop and return to Rome to serve in the Roman Curia.[13]

Leo XIII named Bishop Martin Marty of the Diocese of Sioux Falls as the second bishop of Saint Cloud in 1895.[14] Already ill when he took office, Marty died less than two years later in 1896. Leo XIII appointed James Trobec of St. Paul in 1897 to replace Marty.[15]

Trobec led the diocese through a time of growth, with a particular focus on priestly vocations and Catholic education.[16] By 1911, the Catholic population of the diocese had grown by 25,000, the number of priests and parishes had each increased by 35, and the diocese had two new hospitals.[17]

After Trobec retired in 1914, Bishop Joseph Francis Busch of the Diocese of Lead became Saint Cloud's next bishop.[18] St. Raphael Hospital was replaced in 1928 by St. Cloud Hospital.[11] It is today CentraCare - St. Cloud Hospital. In 1937, St. Mary's Church in St. Cloud was designated as the Cathedral of Saint Mary, replacing Holy Angels Cathedral.[19] In 1941, Peter William Bartholome was named coadjutor bishop to assist Busch.[20]

1950 to present

After 38 years as bishop, Busch died in 1953. Bartholome succeeded him as bishop of Saint Cloud.[20] In 1966, Auxiliary Bishop George Henry Speltz from the Diocese of Winona was appointed coadjutor bishop. When Bartholome retired in 1971, Speltz took his place.[21] In 1984, Speltz refused to allow Catholic weddings for couples who cohabitated before marriage.[22] Speltz retired in 1987 due to poor health.[21]

Abbot Jerome Hanus of Conception Abbey in Conception, Missouri took office as the next bishop of Saint Cloud in 1987.[23] In 1994, Hanus became the coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.[24] In 1995, Bishop John Francis Kinney of the Diocese of Bismarck replaced Hanus in Saint Cloud. Kinney retired in 2013.

Pope Francis named Bishop Donald Joseph Kettler of the Diocese of Fairbanks as bishop of Saint Cloud in 2013. He retired in 2022.[25] Francis in 2023 named Patrick Neary of the Congregation of Holy Cross as the next bishop of St. Cloud.[26]

Neary in 2026 announced the merger of the 131 parishes in the diocese into 48 parish groups. The reasons for the restructuring were the shortage of priests, the drop in parish enrollments and the financial distress of many parishes.[27]

2000 to 2020

In 2007, police received a complaint from an 18-year-old man who had been receiving anonymous obscene and suggestive letters. The letters were traced to John Lloyd Caskey, a priest in Morris. When police searched Caskey's residence, they discovered 8,600 images of child pornography on his personal computer. He was arrested shortly thereafter and suspended from ministry by Bishop Kinney.[28] Caskey pleaded guilty and was sentenced in May 2009 to one month in jail and five years' probation.[29]

In 2013, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Minnesota Child Victims Act of 2013, lifting the previous civil statute of limitations for child abuse sexual allegations until 2016,[30] and allowing individuals to file lawsuits on old sexual abuse claims. In 2015, two women sued the diocese, claiming that they had been sexually abused by Donald Rieder, a priest from Randall, when they were ages 11 to 15 in the 1960s.[31] Rieder was convicted in 2003 of sexual abuse of a minor and spent one year in prison.[32]

In 2016, the diocese turned over 13,500 documents related to sexual abuse allegations against its priests to law enforcement.[33] In August 2018, the diocese announced its cooperation with a proposed grand jury investigation to disclose names of accused priests.[33] The diocese in June 2020 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[34] The Catholic Charities affiliate in St. Cloud sued the diocese in 2018. Four years earlier, the diocese had committed to transferring ownership of the St. Cloud Children’s Home to Catholic Charities. Based on that agreement, the charity had spent a large amount of money updating the facility. The point of the lawsuit was to ensure that the ownership was indeed transferred.[35] In December 2020, the bankruptcy court approved a bankruptcy plan for the diocese.[36]

2020 to present

In May 2020, the diocese reached a $22.5 million settlement plan for 70 sexual abuse survivors.[37] The same day, Bishop Kettler apologized to the victims for the harm they suffered. He said that he remained committed to "assist in the healing of all those who have been hurt."[37] In 2022, the diocese published an updated list of diocesan clergy with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors.[38]

Coat of arms

Coat of arms of Diocese of Saint Cloud
File:Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Saint Cloud.svg Escutcheon
France ancient, thereon a chalice argent, the bowl charged with a cross-ancrée sable
Symbolism
The arms of the diocese are based on the retroactive arms of Clovis and Clodomir, with a chalice added indicating St. Clodoaldus's priesthood.[39]

Bishops

Vicar Apostolic of Northern Minnesota

Bishops of Saint Cloud

Coadjutor bishops

Auxiliary bishop

Other diocesan priests who became bishops

Education

The Diocese of Saint Cloud has two institutions of higher learning, a school of theology, 27 elementary schools, and two high schools.

Higher education

High schools

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Diocese of Saint Cloud is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.[40]

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Diocese of Saint Cloud — (SANCTI CLODOALDI),

A suffragan of the Archdiocese of St. Paul, Minn., comprises the counties of Stearns, Sherburne, Benton, Morrison, Mille Lacs, Kanabec, Grant, Pope, Stevens, Isanti, Traverse, Douglas, Wilkin, Otter-Tail, Todd, Wadena, in the State of Minnesota, an area of 12,251 square miles. The bishop resides in St. Cloud, Stearns county. In 1680 Father Hennepin visited the Indians at Mille Lacs, and for one hundred and seventy years no other priest came to these regions. In 1851, when this part of Minnesota was thrown open to white settlers, the history of the Diocese of St. Cloud begins. In 1852 Rev. Francis Pierz (Pirc), a native of Carniola, Austria, came from his former Indian missions at Lake Superior to Minnesota to labour among the Chippewa Indians. Finding the country well adapted to agriculture, he announced the fact in some Catholic German papers, and thus caused a large immigration of German Catholics, especially to Stearns county. In 1856 Bishop Cretin of St. Paul sent three Benedictines, Fathers Demetrius de Marogna, Cornelius Wittmann, and Bruno Riss, to attend the ever-ìncreasing numbers of settlers. They settled on a piece of land near the present city of St. Cloud, where they built a small log house and chapel. In 1857 they erected a college, and opened a school with five pupils. A change of location, however, was desirable, hence land was secured around St. John's Lake, and in 1866 a college and monastery were permanently established. They have now flourishing parishes and a university with more than three hundred students. The first abbot, Rt. Rev. Rupert Seidenbusch, was made Vicar Apostolic of Northern Minnesota (1875). He resided in St. Cloud until 1888 when, on account of poor health, he resigned. He built the present pro-cathedral and died 3 June, 1895. The present Diocese of St. Cloud was created in 1889 with Rt. Rev. Dr. Otto Zardetti as its first bishop. Dr. Zardetti, a native of Switzerland, was born 24 Jan., 1846. He was ordained priest 21 Aug., 1870, and in 1881 became professor of dogma in the St. Francis Seminary, near Milwaukee. In 1886 he was made vicar-general of Bishop Marty of Yankton. As Bishop of St. Cloud, he was extremely active, and renowned as a pulpit orator. In Feb., 1894, he was made Archbishop of Bucharest in Rumania and died at Rome 9 May, 1902. When he took charge of the Diocese of St. Cloud, he found about 30,000 souls in the charge of 69 priests, 52 religious and 17 diocesan. When he resigned, there were about 40,000 souls in the charge of 33 secular priests and 16 religious, besides 19 religious in the monastery. His successor was Rt. Rev. Martin Marty, O.S.B., also a native of Switzerland. In 1879 he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Dakota, residing in Yankton, in 1889 first Bishop of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and 31 Dec., 1894, was transferred to St. Cloud. He took charge of the new see 12 March, 1895, but died 19 Sept., 1896. Rt. Rev. Mgr. Jos. Bauer was administrator of the diocese until 28 Sept., 1897, when the present bishop, James Trobec, arrived as third bishop of the diocese. There are about 62,000 souls; 125 priests, 78 secular and 47 religious; 115 churches and 12 chapels; 1 university; 2 academies; 4 hospitals; 1 home for old people; 1 orphan asylum; parochial schools wherever possible. The religious communities represented in the diocese are the Benedictines and the Holy Cross Fathers; the Benedictine Sisters, who number about 400 and have charge of parochial schools, a hospital, and a home for the aged; the Sisters of St. Francis, who have charge of an orphan asylum and three hospitals; the Sisters of St. Mary of the Presentation.

The Diocesan Chronicle.

References

  1. Back to citation "Diocese of Duluth". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
  2. Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 "Early Parish History", St. Cloud Times, 10 June 1885, Page 3.
  3. Back to citation Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Saint Cloud". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  4. Back to citation "Saint John's Abbey:: Abbey History". Saintjohnsabbey.org. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  5. Back to citation "Saint Paul and Minneapolis (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  6. Back to citation "Bishop Rupert Seidenbusch, O.S.B." Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud.
  7. Back to citation occurrence 7.0 Back to citation occurrence 7.1 Back to citation occurrence 7.2 Mitchell, William Bell (1915). History of Stearns County, Minnesota. Cornell University.
  8. Back to citation "Diocese of Saint Cloud". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
  9. Back to citation "Diocese of Saint Cloud". GCatholic.org. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
  10. Back to citation Mitchell, William Bell (1915). History of Stearns County, Minnesota. H.C. Cooper, Jr.
  11. Back to citation occurrence 11.0 Back to citation occurrence 11.1 Back to citation occurrence 11.2 Maurice, Jim (2011-02-09). "This Date In Central Minnesota History: February 9th, 1928". AM 1240 WJON. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  12. Back to citation Renner, OSB, Emmanuel (2001). "A Brief History of the College of Saint Benedict". CSB Archives. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  13. Back to citation "Archbishop John Joseph Frederick Otto Zardetti [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  14. Back to citation "Bishop Martin Marty [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  15. Back to citation "Bishop James Trobec [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  16. Back to citation "Bishop James Trobec". Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud.
  17. Back to citation Trunk, Rev. J.M. "Prominent Slovenes". Foundation for East European Family History Studies. Slovenian Genealogy Society International.
  18. Back to citation Cheney, David M. "Bishop Joseph Francis Busch". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  19. Back to citation Becker, Chase M. (2013-05-15). "A Newly Refurbished Interior for St. Mary Cathedral in St. Cloud, MN". Home. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  20. Back to citation occurrence 20.0 Back to citation occurrence 20.1 Cheney, David M. "Bishop Peter William Bartholome". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  21. Back to citation occurrence 21.0 Back to citation occurrence 21.1 "Bishop George Henry Speltz [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  22. Back to citation "GEORGE SPELTZ WAS BISHOP OF ST. CLOUD DIOCESE". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 2004-02-04.
  23. Back to citation "Archbishop Jerome George Hanus [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  24. Back to citation "Archbishop Jerome George Hanus, O.S.B." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  25. Back to citation "Bishop John Francis Kinney [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
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  27. Back to citation "Central Minnesota diocese to merge 131 parishes into 48 parish groups". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  28. Back to citation Unze, David (February 1, 2008). "Porn Case Ends Priest's Work". St. Cloud Times. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  29. Back to citation "Priest Sentenced". KSAX. May 11, 2009. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
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  31. Back to citation "Diocese Of St. Cloud Facing 2 New Lawsuits Over Sexual Abuse Claims". www.cbsnews.com. August 24, 2015. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  32. Back to citation Landsverk, Gabby (August 29, 2015). "Randall parish, St. Cloud Diocese charged as new victims of sexually-abusive priest come forward". hometownsource.com. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  33. Back to citation occurrence 33.0 Back to citation occurrence 33.1 Dickrell, Stephanie (August 22, 2018). "Sex abuse survivors' attorney calls on Dayton for probe of all Minnesota Catholic dioceses". St. Cloud Times.
  34. Back to citation Simon-Johnson, Barb (2020-06-15). "June 15, 2020 – Diocese files for Chapter 11 Reorganization". Diocese of Saint Cloud. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  35. Back to citation "In Minnesota, Catholic Charities sues near-bankrupt diocese". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  36. Back to citation Simon-Johnson, Barb (2020-06-15). "Statements". Diocese of Saint Cloud. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
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  39. Back to citation Heuser, Herman Joseph (1915). "Some Recent Episcopal Arms". The American Ecclesiastical Review. LIII (July). The Dolphin Press: 79. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  40. Back to citation Diocese of Saint Cloud, official website

45°33′N 94°10′W / 45.550°N 94.167°W

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