Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Bishop Donald Kettler of Diocese of Saint Cloud; Appoints Rev. Patrick Neary, C.S.C. as Successor
WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Donald J. Kettler, 78, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Saint Cloud, and has appointed Reverend Patrick Neary, C.S.C, as Bishop-elect of Saint Cloud. Bishop-elect Neary is a member of the religious order, the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers, and currently serves as pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in Portland, Oregon. The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on December 15, 2022, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Father Neary was born March 6, 1963, in LaPorte, Indiana. He attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana (1985); and he earned a Master of Divinity in theology from Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California (1990). He professed his final vows for the Congregation of Holy Cross on September 1, 1990 and was ordained to the priesthood on April 6, 1991.
Bishop-elect Neary’s assignments after ordination include: parochial vicar at St. John Vianney parish in Goodyear, Arizona (1990-1994); campus minister at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana (1994-2000); residence hall assistant rector at the University of Notre Dame (1994-1995); vice rector (2001-2003) and rector (2004-2010) at Moreau Seminary at the University of Notre Dame; and a member of the Provincial Council of the Indiana Province of Priests (2003-2010). He also served as director of the McCauley House of Formation in Nairobi, Kenya (2010-2011); and district superior of East Africa for the Congregation of Holy Cross (2011-2018). Since 2018, he has served as pastor of Holy Redeemer parish in Portland, Oregon. Father Neary speaks English and Spanish.
The Diocese of Saint Cloud is comprised of 12,251 square miles in the State of Minnesota and has a total population of 586,422, of which 115,158 are Catholic.
