Diocese of Saint Cloud Information

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud is the local Catholic Church in Central Minnesota, a miniature of the Universal Church, and full expression of Roman Catholic Christianity in our given area. While serving in an administrative sense, the authentic Catholic understanding of a diocese is pastoral. It is all about the people who comprise the Catholic Church in a particular geographic area. The Diocese of Saint Cloud encompasses 12,251 square miles in 16 central Minnesota counties, with an estimated total population of 555,400. The diocese stretches more than 175 miles from east to west. Men and women of 16 different religious communities serve the diocese in its mission. Catholic education is widely available throughout the diocese for all age groups, with elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, St. John's University, The College of St. Benedict, and St. John's School of Theology. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Saint Cloud provides a variety of social services throughout central Minnesota. The diocese also contains Catholic-sponsored hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living residences. Bishop John F. Kinney was appointed the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Saint Cloud May 9, 1995. He was formally installed July 6, 1995.