Pope Francis names Denver-native as new

Pope Francis and Bishop Andrew Cozzens (Screenshot from Bishop Andrew Cozzens Facebook page)

A former Denver priest is now the newly appointed bishop of the Diocese of Crookston.

On Monday, Oct. 18, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis announced that Pope Francis selected Bishop Andrew Cozzens for the position.

According to The Catholic Spirit, the new bishop plans to conduct thanksgiving Mass on Nov. 28 to celebrate his appointment. It will be held at the Cathedral of St. Paul and followed by an open house reception from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The report further stated that Bishop Cozzens’ installation as the 8th bishop of Crookston would be on Dec. 6. It will take place at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston.

Bishop Cozzens’ appointment came after the resignation of Bishop Michael Hoeppner in April. Since 2007, Bishop Hoeppner has led the Diocese of Crookston, which is located in northwest Minnesota.

As stated on its official website, the Diocese of Crookston was established in 1909. It has more than 66 parishes serving an estimated 35,000 Catholics.

The Diocese also manages eight Catholic grade schools and one high school. Three Catholic hospitals and two Catholic nursing facilities are also affiliated with the church.

Mixed Feelings on New Assignment

Bishop Cozzens provided a statement published at the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis website. He said that he is excited to embark on the new opportunity to serve the people.

In his speech, he noted that he thanked God for giving him a new “important mission.” Apart from Him, he was also grateful for his friends in the ministry.

While he is thrilled with the new assignment, Bishop Cozzens admitted that he is sad to leave his home.

In the same statement, the bishop expressed gratitude to the people he worked with. In the past 25 years, Cozzens served the Archdiocese and said it has “formed” his life.

He described it as “vibrant, and in many ways, unparalleled in our country.”

“I have experienced personally that God is doing incredible things here through so many good people who love Christ and his Church, and I expect that to grow as the Archdiocese brings the Synod to completion and begins a new phase of Evangelization.”

The new Bishop-designate also served as auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis since 2013.

Who Is Bishop Andrew Cozzens?

As The Catholic Spirit reported, Bishop Cozzens was born on Aug. 3, 1968. The Denver native is the youngest of three children of Jack and Judy Cozzens.

Bishop Cozzens was enrolled in a Catholic school from grade school, high school, and college. He is a proud alumnus of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. During his time there, Cozzens grew his faith through the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

While in Denver, Bishop Cozzens became a part of a small group of men. They formed the Companions of Christ, a fraternal community of priests and seminarians. It was then established by the Archdiocese of Denver and received canonical recognition in 1992.

In 1997, he was ordained and served as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of St. Paul until 2000.

From 2006 until his episcopal ordination, Cozzens also served as a professor. He taught sacramental theology and was a formator at The St. Paul Seminary. In Dec. 2013, he was reportedly ordained as bishop.