Cozzens told CNA in 2019 that he felt God had called him to be a bishop so that he could play a part in the healing process.
He was elected chairman of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in 2019, succeeding Bishop Robert Barron, founder of the global media ministry Word on Fire.
In June this year, Cozzens presented a plan for a “Eucharistic revival” to his fellow bishops.
He told CNA that the initiative aimed to launch a “three-year period of revival” nationwide, with special attention to the local level, bringing the focus of Eucharistic revival to “any parish that desires it.”
The Diocese of Crookston covers 17,210 square miles in the State of Minnesota, serving 34,875 Catholics out of a total population of 227,689 people.
Bishop Richard Edmund Pates has led the diocese as apostolic administrator since Hoeppner’s resignation.
Hoeppner was accused of pressuring an alleged victim to drop his allegation of abuse against a priest, failing to follow mandatory reporting laws, and neglecting to follow protocols designed to monitor priests accused of misconduct.
A report on the Vos estis investigation of Hoeppner was sent to Rome in October 2019, and in February 2020, Crookston diocese announced that the Vatican had ordered an additional investigation into the bishop.
Both investigations were conducted by Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
“I apologize to you, as I have apologized to our Holy Father, for my failures in governing as bishop,” Hoeppner wrote in an April 13 letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Crookston.
In an Oct. 18 statement, Pates said: “The Diocese of Crookston extends a heartfelt welcome to our new shepherd, Bishop Andrew Cozzens.”
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“He brings an engaging pastoral spirit, extensive experience, positive energy and will soon have the smell of the sheep of Northwest Minnesota on his person. May his days among us be especially blessed.”
The installation Mass will take place on Dec. 6.
The Catholic News Agency (CNA) Staff are a team of journalists dedicated to reporting news concerning the Catholic Church around the world. Our bureaus are located in Denver, Washington, and Rome. We have sister language agencies in Kenya, Germany, Peru, Brazil, and Italy. CNA is a service of EWTN News. You can contact us at news@catholicna.com with questions.