Duluth, Minn., Oct 15, 2009 / 08:34 am
On Thursday morning, Pope Benedict named Msgr. Paul D. Sirba, currently vicar general and moderator of the curia in St. Paul and Minneapolis, as the ninth Bishop of Duluth, Minnesota, filling the position left vacant when Bishop Dennis M. Schnurr was appointed as coadjutor of Cincinnati, Ohio in October 2008.
Two other bishop's appointments were also announced by the Vatican today: Fr. Fernando Isern as Bishop of Pueblo, Colorado and Msgr. Robert C. Evans as auxiliary of the Diocese of Providence, R.I.
According to the Diocese of Duluth, Bishop-elect Sirba was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1986 and served as an associate pastor for five years. He then worked as a member of the spiritual formation department at St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul from 1991 – 2000.
For the next six years, Msgr. Sirba, served as a pastor before becoming spiritual director at the Saint Paul Seminary in 2006. He remained at the seminary until this past July when he was appointed vicar general and moderator of the curia for the archdiocese.