NEWS RELEASE

Diocese of St. Cloud

MEDIA CONTACT

Joe Towalski
Director of Communications
(O) 320-258-7624
jtowalski@gw.stcdio.org

March 24, 2016

 

STATEMENTS REGARDING APPOINTMENT OF ARCHBISHOP HEBDA

Bishop Donald Kettler of St. Cloud and Bishop Emeritus John Kinney released statements today following the announcement March 24 that Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Bernard Hebda, 56, as archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Archbishop Hebda has served as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since June 2015 and as coadjutor archbishop of Newark since 2013.

“I am very pleased with the appointment of Archbishop Hebda to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis,” Bishop Kettler said. “I think it is a wise choice. He is a great listener and easy to work with. And he has had a good opportunity to spend time in the archdiocese and get to know the priests and the people. His background will be helpful to the local church, and I look forward to working with him.”

“It is a great Holy Week and Easter gift from Pope Francis, not only for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis but also for the whole province,” said Bishop Kinney, who served as bishop of St. Cloud from 1995 until his retirement in 2013 upon the appointment of Bishop Kettler. The local province includes the archdiocese and all the dioceses in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

“Everything I’ve heard about Archbishop Hebda during his time as administrator makes me rejoice because I think he has listened very carefully to the priests and the people of the archdiocese,” Bishop Kinney said. “I think he knows very well what needs to be done, and he has a tremendous pastoral and people personality so that he will be able to do it.”