Patrick Neary
American Roman Catholic prelate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Patrick Michael Neary, C.S.C. (born March 6, 1963) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who serves as bishop of Saint Cloud in Minnesota. He has worked as a missionary priest in Chile, Kenya, and Uganda, held leadership positions in the Congregation of Holy Cross (CSC), and served in various pastoral assignments in the U.S.
Patrick Neary | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Saint Cloud | |
| Diocese | Saint Cloud |
| Appointed | December 15, 2022 |
| Installed | February 14, 2023 |
| Predecessor | Donald Kettler |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | April 6, 1991 by Paul E. Waldschmidt |
| Consecration | February 14, 2023 by Bernard Hebda, Peter Leslie Smith, and William Albert Wack |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Patrick Michael Neary March 6, 1963 |
| Education | University of Notre Dame Jesuit School of Theology |
| Motto | Ave crux, spes unica (Hail the cross, our only hope)[1] |
| Styles of Patrick Michael Neary | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Biography
Early life
Patrick Neary was born on March 6, 1963, in La Porte, Indiana,[2] the oldest of six children of Jacob and Marybelle Neary. He joined the CSC and, as a seminarian, attended the University of Notre Dame, earning a bachelor's degree in history in 1985.[3] He then earned a Master of Divinity degree at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California.[2] Neary took his final vows as a CSC religious priest in September 1990.[3]
Priesthood
Neary was ordained a priest at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Notre Dame, Indiana for the CSC on April 6, 1991, by Bishop Paul Edward Waldschmidt.[2][4]
After his ordination, the CSC assigned Neary as the parish vicar of Saint John Vianney Parish in Goodyear, Arizona, from 1990 to 1994. He returned to Notre Dame in 1994 to an appointment as a chaplain at the university,[2] serving Hispanic students in the ROTC program.[5] Neary was appointed vice-rector of the Moreau Seminary at Notre Dame in 2000, serving there until 2004. In 2003, he was named a member of the CSC Provincial Council of Indiana.[2]
In 2010, Neary moved to Kenya to serve as director of the McCauley House of Formation in Nairobi. After one year, the CSC moved him to the position of Superior of the District of East Africa.
In 2018, after eight years in East Africa, the CSC transferred Neary to the role of pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in Portland, Oregon.[2]
Bishop of Saint Cloud
On December 15, 2022, Pope Francis named Neary as bishop of Saint Cloud.[2][6][7] He received his episcopal consecration at the Cathedral of Saint Mary in St. Cloud on February 14, 2023, from Archbishop Bernard Hebda, with Auxiliary Bishop Peter Smith and Bishop William Wack serving as co-consecrators.[4]
