Pope gives North Dakota's capital new bishop

Bismarck, N.D., Oct 19, 2011 / 08:52 am

On Oct. 19, Pope Benedict appointed Msgr. David Kagan from the Rockford, Ill. diocese as the new Bishop of Bismarck, N.D.

Bishop-elect Kagan, 61, will succeed Bishop Paul A. Zipfel who has served as leader of the diocese since 1997. The Pope also accepted Bishop Zipfel’s resignation, which he submitted at the mandatory retirement age of 75.

Msgr. Kagan was born in Waukegan, Ill., and raised in Spring Grove. He holds an M.A. in Sacred Theology and a licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was ordained a priest in Rockford, Ill. in 1975, and has served at a number of parishes in the diocese as a teacher, parish pastor and parochial administrator.

The bishop-elect was created a Prelate of Honor of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II in 1994 and was admitted to the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem as a Knight Commander in 1995. 

In June of this year, he was elevated to the title of Protonotary Apostolic Super Numerary of the Supreme Pontiff, which is the highest level of honor for a monsignor.

Bishop-elect Kagan's ordination and installation are scheduled for Nov. 30 at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck.

As the seventh Bishop of Bismarck, he will shepherd a population 270,000, of which 65,000 are Catholic.