The Diocese of Fargo ( la, Dioecesis Fargensis) is a

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

ecclesiastical territory or

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The cathedra is found within the Cathedral of St. Mary, in the

episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

of Fargo. It is a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

in the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

History

The diocese was founded on November 10, 1889 by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

as the "Diocese of Jamestown." The name of the diocese was changed to the Diocese of Fargo on April 6, 1897, and the Diocese of Jamestown was made into a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

. It lost territory when the

Diocese of Bismarck The Diocese of Bismarck ( la, Dioecesis Bismarckiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in North Dakota. The current bishop of the diocese is Bishop David Kagan. It is a suffragan diocese in the eccles ...

was established by

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...

in 1909.

Bishops

Bishops of Fargo

# John Shanley (1889–1909) # James O'Reilly (1909–1934) #

Aloisius Joseph Muench Aloisius Joseph Muench (February 18, 1889 – February 15, 1962) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Fargo from 1935 to 1959, and as Apostolic Nuncio to Germany from 1951 to 1959. He was elevated to the ...

(1935–1959), appointed

Apostolic Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...

and

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

(elevated to

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

in 1959) # Leo Ferdinand Dworschak (1960–1970) #

Justin Albert Driscoll Justin Albert Driscoll (September 30, 1920—November 19, 1984) was an American Roman Catholic clergyman. He served as President of Loras College (1967-1970) and Bishop of Fargo (1970-1984). Biography Early life Justin Driscoll was born ...

(1970–1984) #

James Stephen Sullivan James Stephen Sullivan (July 23, 1929 – June 12, 2006) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Fargo in North Dakota from 1985 to 2002. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Dioce ...

(1985–2002) # Samuel Joseph Aquila (2002–2012), appointed Archbishop of Denver # John Thomas Folda (2013–present)

Other bishops who once were priests of the Diocese of Fargo

Raymond W. Lessard Raymond William Lessard (December 21, 1930 – January 3, 2016) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the 12th bishop (Catholic Church), bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah, Diocese of Savannah in Geo ...

, appointed

Bishop of Savannah The Diocese of Savannah is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising 90 of the southern counties of the state of Georgia.

in 1973 * William Theodore Mulloy, appointed Bishop of Covington in 1944 *

Vincent James Ryan Vincent James Ryan (July 1, 1884 – November 10, 1951) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Bismarck in North Dakota from 1940 until his death. Biography Early life The fourth of five chi ...

, appointed Bishop of Bismarck in 1940

Departments

The Diocese of Fargo operates a number of departments serving the various needs of the bishop and parishes. The departments include: *Archives *Catholic Education and Formation Office (CEF) *Catholic Schools *Cemeteries *Communications *Evangelization *Catechesis *Finance *Human Resources *Marriage & Family Life *Marriage Tribunal *Properties Management *Respect Life *Stewardship & Development *Technology *Youth & Young Adult Shanley High School Fargo ND

Parishes

A partial list of parishes of the Diocese of Fargo follows. * St. Joseph's Chapel, Minto

Deanery 1: South-East

Dean: Very Reverend Dale Lagodinski * Holy Trinity Church, Fingal * Our Lady of the Scapular Church, Sheldon * St. Aloysius Church, Lisbon * St. Anthony's Church, Fairmount * St. Anthony's Church, Mooreton * St. Arnold's Church, Milnor * St. Boniface Church, Lidgerwood * St. Charles Church, Oakes * St. John the Baptist Church, Wyndmere * St. John's Church, Wahpeton * St. Martin's Church, Geneseo * St. Mary's Church, Forman * St. Patrick's Church, Enderlin * St. Philip's Church, Hankinson * St. Vincent's Church, Gwinner * Sts. Peter and Paul's Church, Cayuga * Sts. Peter and Paul's Church, Mantador

Deanery 2: Fargo

Dean: Very Reverend Paul Duchschere * Blessed Sacrament Church, West Fargo * Cathedral of St. Mary, Fargo * Holy Cross Church, West Fargo * Holy Spirit Church, Fargo * Nativity Church, Fargo * St. Anthony's Church, Fargo * St. Benedict's Church, Wild Rice * St. Leo's Church, Casselton * St. Maurice Church, Kindred * St. Paul's Newman Center, Fargo * St. Thomas Church, Buffalo * Sts. Anne and Joachim Catholic Church (Fargo), Fargo

Deanery 3: Grand Forks

Dean: N/A * Holy Family Church, Grand Forks * Our Lady of Peace Church, Mayville * Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Reynolds * St. Agnes Church, Hunter * St. Jude's Church, Thompson * St. Mary's Church, Grand Forks * St. Michael's Church, Grand Forks * St. Rose Catholic Church, Hillsboro * St. Stephen's Church, Larimore * St. Thomas Newman Center, Grand Forks * St. Timothy's Church, Manvel * St. William's Church, Argusville

Deanery 4: North-East

Dean:N/A * Assumption Church, Pembina * Sacred Heart Church, Minto * Sacred Heart Church, Oakwood * St. Alphonsus Church, Langdon * St. Boniface Church, Walhalla * St. Brigid's Church, Cavalier * St. Edward's Church, Drayton * St. Edward's Church, Nekoma * St. John Nepomucene Church, Pisek * St. John's Church, Grafton * St. Joseph's Church, Lankin * St. Luke's Church, Veseleyville * St. Mary's Church, Park River * St. Michael's Church, Wales * St. Patrick's Church, Crystal * St. Stanislaus Church, Warsaw * Sts. Nereus and Archilleus Church, Neche * Sts. Peter and Paul's Church, Bechyne

Deanery 5: Devils Lake

Dean: Very Reverend Chad Wilhelm * Assumption Church, Starkweather * Christ the King Church, Tokio * Sacred Heart Church, Cando * Seven Dolors Mission, Fort Totten * St. Jerome's Church, Crow Hill * St. John's Church, New Rockford * St. Joseph's Church, Devils Lake * St. Joseph's Church, Tolna * St. Lawrence O'Toole's Catholic Church, Michigan * St. Mary's Catholic Church, Munich * St. Mary's Catholic Church, Lakota * St. Michael's Mission, Devils Lake * St. Vincent de Paul's Catholic Church, Leeds * Sts. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church, McHenry

Deanery 6: North-West

Dean: Very Reverend Frank Miller * Holy Family Church, McClusky * Holy Rosary Church, Bisbee * Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Rock Lake * Notre Dame Church, Willow City * Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Balta * Sacred Heart Church, Rolette * St. Andrew's Church, Westhope * St. Ann's Church, Belcourt * St. Anthony's Church, Alcide * St. Anthony's Church, Selz * St. Augustine's Church, Fessenden * St. Benedict's Church, Belcourt * St. Boniface Church, Esmond * St. Cecilia's Church, Harvey * St. Cecilia's Church, Towner * St. Francis Xavier's Church, Anamoose * St. Joachim's Church, Rolla * St. John's Church, St. John * St. Margaret Mary's Church, Drake * St. Mark's Church, Bottineau * St. Mary's Church, Knox * St. Michael's Church, Dunseith * St. Therese Church, Rugby * St. William's Church, Maddock * Sts. Peter and Pauls Church, Karlsruhe

Deanery 7: Jamestown-Valley City

Dean: Very Reverend Msgr. Dennis Skonseng * Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Carrington * Sacred Heart Church, Aneta * Sacred Heart Church, Sanborn * St. Agatha's Church, Hope * St. Bernard's Church, Oriska * St. Boniface Church, Wimbledon * St. Catherine's Church, Valley City * St Elizabeth's Church, Sykeston * St. George's Church, Cooperstown * St. James Basilica, Jamestown * St. John's Church, Kensal * St. Lawrence Church, Jessie * St. Margaret Mary's Church, Buchanan * St. Mary's Church, Dazey * St. Mathias Church, Windsor * St. Olaf's Church, Finley

Deanery 8: South-West

Dean: Very Reverend Wenceslaus Katanga * Assumption Church, Dickey * Holy Rosary Church, LaMoure * Holy Spirit Church, Nortonville * St. Andrew's Church, Zeeland * St. David's Church, Ashley * St. Francis Church, Steele * St. Helena's Church, Ellendale * St. Mary's Church, Medina * St. Patrick's Church, Fullerton * St. Paul's Church, Tappen * St Philip's Church, Napoleon * St. Raphael's Church, Venora * Transfiguration Church, Edgeley

Education

Schools

Former schools

The Diocese of Fargo operated Cardinal Muench Seminary, established in 1962, for the formation of men to the priesthood. The seminary was closed in May 2011 due to increased cost of operation and lack of funding. * St. Alphonsus High School * St. Mary's Elementary School

Coat of arms

Accusations of clergy sexual abuse

On January 2, 2020, the Diocese of Fargo unveiled the names of 31 clergy who, since 1950, were "credibly accused" of sexually abusing children while serving in the Diocese. Among those named were Rev Richard Sinner, brother of former North Dakota Governor George A. Sinner. Rev. Richard Sinner was an outspoken activist for aiding Central American refugees, abolishing nuclear weapons, and promoting music and song.https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/the-rev-richard-sinner-activist-priest-and-brother-of-governor/article_c714a977-acc2-58e1-8835

Notes

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Diocese Of Fargo Fargo Diocese of Fargo Religious organizations established in 1889 1889 establishments in Dakota Territory Fargo Fargo