Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

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The Catholic Diocese of St. Cloud will soon have a new bishop.

Pope Francis has appointed Father Patrick Neary as the 10th bishop of the St. Cloud diocese, which encompasses 16 counties in central Minnesota.

Neary, 59, will replace Donald Kettler who's been the St. Cloud bishop since 2013. Kettler submitted his resignation in 2019, when he turned 75.

He led the diocese through challenging times. It filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after receiving more than 70 claims of clergy sexual abuse of minors. It agreed to pay more than $22 million to compensate survivors.

reaches agreement on sex abuse claims

During a news conference, Neary said he wants to be available to all those who've suffered clergy abuse.

"And Bishop Kettler, I'm truly grateful to you and your team who worked so hard to see the Diocese of St. Cloud through this really painful chapter in its history. But May the Holy Spirit continue to bring healing above all to all those affected by this painful burden they carry in their hearts,” he said.

Neary is from Indiana and graduated from the University of Notre Dame. After becoming a priest, he worked there as an ROTC chaplain for mostly Latino students, and speaks Spanish. He has also served in Rome, Kenya and Uganda.

Since 2018, he has been serving as pastor of a parish in Portland, Oregon.

“Being in Minnesota means I'm back in the Midwest. This is the Upper Midwest, kind of superior to most of the Midwest. And I love that we're getting snow. I'm back home,” Neary said at a St. Cloud press conference Thursday.

Neary will be installed as bishop in February.

Religion and Faith

Kirsti Marohn

Author

Since 2018, Neary has been serving as pastor of a parish in Portland, Oregon.  He has also served in Rome, Kenya and Uganda.

A brick office building is framed by trees in afternoon light

Father Patrick Neary appointed as new bishop of St. Cloud diocese

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