Appointment of bishop of Helena, U.S.A.

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Austin Vetter, of the clergy of the diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota, currently rector of the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Bismarck, as bishop of Helena, United States of America.

Reverend Austin Vetter

The Reverend Austin Vetter was born on 13 September 1967 in Linton, North Dakota. He completed his ecclesiastical studies at the Cardinal Muench Seminary in Fargo (1986-1989) and at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas in Rome as a student of the Pontifical North American College (1989-1993).

He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Bismarck on 29 June 1993.

Since ordination he has served as deputy parish priest of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck (1993-1996), parish priest of the Saint Martin Center (1996-1999), of the Saint Patrick parish in Dickinson (1999-2008), and of the Saint Leo parish in Minot (2008-2012). He was also episcopal vicar for the permanent diaconate (1999-2002) and director of permanent formation of the clergy (2008-2012). From 2012 to 2018 he held the role of spiritual director at the Pontifical North American College.

Since 2018 he has been rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck.