Paul Sirba
| His Excellency, The Most Reverend Paul David Sirba | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Duluth | |
| Archdiocese | Saint Paul and Minneapolis |
| Diocese | Duluth |
| Appointed | October 19, 2009 |
| Installed | December 14, 2009 |
| Predecessor | Dennis Schnurr |
| Successor | Daniel Felton |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 31, 1986 by John Robert Roach |
| Consecration | December 14, 2009 by John Clayton Nienstedt, Peter F. Christensen, and Lee A. Piché |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 2, 1960 Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
| Died | December 1, 2019 (aged 59) Duluth, Minnesota, United States |
| Education | University of St. Thomas Saint Paul Seminary Notre Dame Institute for Catechetics |
| Motto | Fiat voluntas tua (Thy will be done) |
Paul David Sirba (September 2, 1960 – December 1, 2019) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Duluth in Minnesota from 2009 until his death in 2019
Early life and education
Paul Sirba was born on September 2, 1960, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended Nativity of Mary Catholic School in Bloomington, Minnesota, and later graduated from the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minnesota. Sirba then went to University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. He completed his studies at the Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota and at the Notre Dame Institute for Catechetics in Alexandria, Virginia.[1][2]
Priesthood
Sirba was ordained a priest at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in St. Paul on May 31, 1986, by Archbishop John Robert Roach for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.[3][4] After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Sirba as assistant pastor at Saint Olaf Parish in Minneapolis. In 1990, he was transferred to serve at Saint John the Baptist Parish in Savage, Minnesota, for one year.[2]
Sirba was named spiritual director of the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, holding that position until 2000. In 2001, he was named pastor of the Maternity of Mary Parish in St. Paul. Sirba left Maternity of Mary to become director of spiritual formation at Saint Paul school in 2006.[5] He was named vicar general and moderator of the curia for the archdiocese in June 2009.[6][2]
Bishop of Duluth
On October 15, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Sirba as bishop of Duluth succeeding Bishop Dennis Schnurr.[6] Sirba was consecrated at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in Duluth on December 14, 2009, by Archbishop John Nienstedt.[4]
On December 1, 2019, Sirba was preparing to celebrate mass at St. Rose Church in Proctor, Minnesota, when he suffered a cardiac arrest. He died in Duluth that same day at age 59 at a local hospital.[7][8]
See also
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
References
- Back to citation "Paul Sirba Obituary | 1960 - 2019 | Minnesota Star Tribune". obituaries.startribune.com. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
- Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 Back to citation occurrence 2.2 "Duluth bishop dies after heart attack; he was 'greatly loved' by all". National Catholic Reporter. December 2, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
- Back to citation "Rinunce e Nomine, 15.10.2009" (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- Back to citation occurrence 4.0 Back to citation occurrence 4.1 "Bishop Paul David Sirba [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
- Back to citation "Curriculum Vitae, Rev Paul Sirba, The Saint Paul Seminary/School of Divinity" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
- Back to citation occurrence 6.0 Back to citation occurrence 6.1 Strickler, Jeff (October 15, 2009). "Twin Cities priest named bishop of Duluth". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
- Back to citation Walsh, Paul (December 2, 2019). "Catholic bishop for Duluth diocese suffers fatal cardiac arrest". Star Tribune. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- Back to citation "Duluth's Bishop Paul Sirba dies of heart attack at 59". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved April 27, 2022.